In Absence
by Neon Daisies
Summary: She disappears one night in December after the Stark Industries annual Christmas party. All that’s left of him anymore is the mystery, and the misery. He never considered when he first saw the message that she might not be returning. T/P. Mature themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Ready for more fun, boys and girls? ;) 4persephone and NeonDaisies present their next creation. We hope you enjoy this, because it's looking like a wild ride. And once again, NeonDaisies blames all of this on 4persephone…but thanks her madly too. This is so much fun!

**Disclaimer:** if I owned Iron Man or anyone associated with it, I'd probably still write fanfic, but then it wouldn't be fanfic. It'd be canon. Lucky for the Iron Man 'verse I'm on the outside looking in. Credit Stan Lee, Universal, Marvel, and whoever else for intellectual property. Credit Jon Favreau, Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby, Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, et al for bringing them to life.

* * *

She disappears one night in December after the Stark Industries annual Christmas party.

He remembers the moment it happened, because it came out of literally nowhere. There was no hint or indication what was coming: not the faintest groans of a foreshock rumbling somewhere in the distance. In truth, the trauma of it was so great because, for once in his life, things had seemed to be going well – precisely in the way he'd dreamed that they could.

Stark Industries had been flourishing, and his 'other business' had fallen into a stable routine. It had a few months of idealism, and a chance for possibilities.

There had been nothing – not even a hint – that the ground was about to collapse out from under his feet.

He looks back on it now with a level of confusion that he finds absolutely unacceptable. There is no where and why…there is only what and when. There is her in absence. He has nothing to fill her empty space but suspicions and rumors and an empty office in his mansion that he long ago tore to shambles.

The world is full of puppetmasters and strings, and now he's hopelessly entangled. He's stuck in a play where the stage is infinite, and the act never ends…

All that's left of him anymore is the mystery, and the misery. Well that and a box that sits on his bedroom's antique maple desk.

'Sorry – I've been called away on family business. I'll be in contact soon...' He came back to the mansion that Christmas Eve with a present for her in his hand, and found her Blackberry on the table. He'd expected to hear from her within the week, at which point he was going to threaten to tattoo 'When I have to leave town suddenly, my boss owns a _jet,' _over the surface of her chest.

Still, he never considered when he first saw the message that she might not be returning. The gift he'd been carrying had gone to his bedroom to await her arrival with the obvious expectation. These days that same box is right next to the hand written note she'd sent on back with her computer on the day she'd resigned.

He'd crumpled that note up, and told Jarvis to find her. He had never imagined the task might be beyond the scope of his resources.

Six months gone she's lost to him though, and he's long out of breath.

'I'm away on family business.' He still sees the words in his head. He should just burn the notes, because he has them both memorized. Her explanation might have made some kind reasonable sense, except she'd had no one to go to, and she'd admitted it to him herself.

But her words aren't reliable. Or rather her history isn't. Her 'family business', as it turns out, hasn't been the kind that involved brother or sisters – just the CIA fresh out of high school.

He has more questions now than he knows how to answer, and a bum ticker in his chest that seems to hurt worse every day.

* * *

Savannah in June is a veritable tourist trap. The streets are crowded and the air is scalding in a way that can never really be escaped. It's a different kind of heat than he dealt with in Afghanistan, but somehow it feels every bit as much like the same purgatory. He has a beach house just southeast of the city, and two hovering bodyguards. Though he has his own private water front property he likes to drive them crazy by slipping of to walk on the nearby Tybee beach.

Some days he actually daydreams he might bump into her here, but then, according to his 'friends', that's just his way of escaping reality. He doesn't tell him that reality doesn't exist, hasn't existed in months, by his recollection. Not since he lost sight of her face.

This time of year the loggerhead turtles are coming in to make their nests. He likes to sneak into the area in the dead of night with his shoes off to watch them dig into the sand with patient flippers. He wonders sometimes, if somewhere Pepper has done the exact same thing – dug herself a hiding place and settled in for a long duration.

He wonders what kind of hell must have made her leave in a manner that he doesn't – can't – reconcile with the person he always sensed she was. He wonders if she's dead or simply hiding, and if the answer really matters.

He wonders why. Mostly though, he tries not to think about anything, except the sand and the sea.

He loves the beaches - loves the smell of the water. Loves the shells that wash in with the waves and that pull at his toes as the water retreats. At night he tiptoes down the catwalks that lead from the parking lot down to the shadow cast water and digs his toes in the sand just to stand there and feel.

The texture is silky, though the waves can be cold. He thinks that she was a little like that, to, and he misses her like he misses the ocean.

It's possible to miss what you have, when in every way that matters, what you have is basically out of reach.

Some nights he stays at the beach until sunrise, before heading back to his condo. He's given up looking for her, but not given up on the idea that like the waves, she may someday come back. The police don't like his loitering much of course, but money has its privileges. He made an obscene donation to the city's beaches and parks fund several weeks ago, and now the Mayor makes everyone just leave him alone.

One morning just as the sun pushes above the horizon, the tide finally turns again. He walks back up toward his car as the first rays of sun beckon.

Pepper Potts steps out of the parking lot's bathroom. She is tall and quiet and quite visibly pregnant.

* * *

She's always been an early riser. Pregnancy hasn't affected that. Yes, it seems like she's going to bed earlier and earlier every night, but the mornings are still hers like predictable clockwork. She rises before the sun and drives someplace where she can watch the light slowly spread over the ocean.

After six months she still finds the daily spectacle amazing. The sun's supposed to set over the water, not rise like it does on the East Coast.

It does what it pleases though, and she supposes that with enough time, she might actually get used to it.

Mick doesn't like her coming out here. He bitches about it every morning. This one however, he wasn't even out of bed yet, which she considers a needed blessing. She can't explain some things to him. Can't explain, that for her, seeing the water is the closest she'll ever get again to _home._

So she comes here and she walks, because she's not used to standing still. She's used to having more occupation than she truly needs, and she's unused to idleness. She knows it's not healthy to stress herself too badly for at least another few months, though, so when the restlessness hits her she settles for strolls along the water if she can get to it and along the boardwalks when she can't.

After these walks she usually goes back home and makes decaffeinated green tea. It usually goes cold before she remembers to drink it because the mailman insists on delivering the paper and she's not strong enough to keep from searching each page for some sort of connection to the life she left behind.

He's never in the tabloids anymore. She knows because she spends ridiculous amounts every day scanning every copy of the LA news that she can get.

She's never tried to deny that she reads it in case Tony is mentioned in any of his incarnations. He's been pretty absent from the news, which she tells herself is a good sign – that he's obviously adapted well. The worry still lingers like a cloying sweat on her skin though, and she can't shake it off as she leaves bathroom just off the visitor center's marine parking lot.

As she searches the her car, she blames seeing Tony on the rising sun and a preoccupied mind. But when she blinks, his face doesn't change into the visage of someone else, and the shock written there on his face is too real for her to be imagining it.

The man in front of her is haggard and looks a hundred years older, but it is definitely Tony.

'He looks so tired.' Is her first actual thought. He looks hollow really – like something's taken all the fire from him and he just doesn't burn from within anymore. His skin is pale against the darkness of his hair, and his goatee has morphed into a full beard somewhere in the interim, but his cheekbones are sharp and sunk in.

His eyes, when he sees her, are like nothing she has the words to describe. She never imagined he could ever look that empty. She swallows hard, briefly considers ignoring him, then decides that after everything that's happened between them he deserves more than that. "Hello, Tony. Good morning."

There's no pretending in her voice, and not the slightest but of pretense. She makes no attempt to place them in a employer/employee relationship. All of that is irrelevant now. Had already been close to irrelevant all those months ago when she first learned she was pregnant.

He stands there a moment, doing nothing but blinking. Then he looks her up and down before licking his lips and forcing his mouth into a smile. The expression is a wry gesture that doesn't ever reach his eyes as he motions toward her swollen belly. "I 'd say you haven't changed a bit, Ms Potts, but it would seem like a fairly significant inaccuracy."

She rests her hand over her swollen belly. "Yeah." She doesn't really know what to say after that so she remains silent.

He continues staring and then he frowns. "Aren't you a little far along to be out here in this godforsaken heat?"

It was a valid question, though perhaps a vaguely startling one. Not only does she feel unsteady from the meeting, but also from the weather. It's barely six a.m. and already the temperature at the coastline has reached nearly ninety five degrees. "I was just going to head...back." She admits after a moment. "It's getting late and I'm getting hungry."

He raises an ironic eyebrow, and lets a hint of bitterness slip in. "Back? What, Potts – you're not going to really dig in the knife by calling it 'home?' " She's not sure whether he's mocking her more for her less than subtle diversion or what he must consider her blatant hypocrisy.

She looks away, because she can't take the pain in his eyes. "I don't remember my last home," she murmurs to herself. "Just places that I've enjoyed living." And it was probably true. The mansion had been the closest she'd known to home since she was a child, but it was lost now, and there was nothing that could be done about it.

Her fingers tighten around the keys in her hand. "Don't do this, Tony." She prays he won't say anything to break either of them in his anger. "Just…please say goodbye and let's part like unexpected old friends?"

His eyes trail down to the hand that just twitched, and she can swear he actually flares both his nostrils. His voice, however, is calm when he answers. He's a little hoarse. "Don't do _what_ exactly, Pepper? Ask you why?" He shakes his head. "As for us being old _anything_…well I don't know what we were, but it has never been friends."

It's like a slap to the face and she feels it all the way to her aching back. The pain that flares is neither small nor unexpected, but it still steals her breath. "I can't do this, Tony," she pleads. "I just can't have this conversation, here, with you, like this...not after six months. I'm sorry for the way I let it all happen, but some things...well they just end."

He steps forward into her space, his form crackling with frustrated tension. "In order for things to 'end' Pepper, there has to be some kind of resolution." He leans in until his nose is nearly tip to tip with hers. His eyes are bloodshot and his breathing is a little shaky. "You never offered me even that." He straightens and squares his shoulders, "Not that it can't be corrected. How about we give that concept a shot by having you give me those keys you're holding before I _take_ them. You can pick the restaurant, and then I'll buy you some breakfast and a big mug of coffee."

"No caffeine," she automatically replies before she remembers that she doesn't want to go to anywhere with him at all. No, that's not true. She does want to go with him because even in his anger he's familiar and comforting. Tony is a whirlwind, and he would solve all her problems for her if she'd just ask. But Virginia Potts is an adult now, and she doesn't ask others to clean up her messes.

She wants to let him of course. Who wouldn't want to be saved? But there is no way back here, and there is no way forward. There is only the here and now where they seem to be trapped, in some agonized parody of motion.

So she settles for a half truth, and one that will hopefully offset him. "I can't do that…I need to get back before Mick starts worrying. I'm late as it is." She's says it with self forced conviction – hoping he'll bend to the iron in her voice. It's the truth, of course, but she also uses it as a way to force Tony into a more comfortable distance.

"Mick can go to hell, Pepper." He says through clenched lips. "At least for another few minutes. I deserve one cup of coffee." He sounds deadly, like he's ready to explode. She can hear it in his voice – his tone is actually shaky.

He's a breath's distance away from …she doesn't know. But it's something that is very, very bad.

She's wondered, sometimes over the last several months, how he has coped with the way that she left him. The way he literally follows her to her car is a pretty frightening answer. The way he's slowly backing her toward the trunk is another clue as well. "Tony _back off_." She hasn't had to use that tone in ages.

It seems to work though. The man grinds to a stop. She can see him corralling his temper in the back of his eyes. She uses the pause to waddle over to the driver's side of her vehicle, but she's unwilling to unlock it. The heat is radiating off the gravel, and off the metal of the vehicle, and the sun reflecting off the windows is giving her a headache.

The baby in her kicks, a kind of internal act of derision. It's like she's a coward, and her own child is saying it. She makes herself turn around and put out a hand in warning. She hates that she feels trapped by him, hates him for being an asshole. Hates that she knows he followed, and she wants to turn and face him. She's almost starved for his face. "I could call the police and charge you with harassment," she tells him, seriously. "You have no right to demand anything from me. Get your head out of your ass…"

His mask of control slips just for a split second. What blazes from underneath is raw and rancid and agonized, and possibly desperate. "I've had two sources come to me and tell me you were _**dead**_ in the last month, Pepper." He breathes the words out. "You owe me one damn cup of coffee. It's not too much to ask."

"No." She says again, though she wants to say yes. The look in his eyes is both siren call and warning. She can't let him rule her though, not if she's to remain intact. "You're not entitled to anything if you're going to bully me like some kind of fifth grader."

He draws in a breath and his fists clench at his side. Then, to her surprise the locks on her car actually spring open and the 2007 sedan thrums to life. "Miss Potts a woman in your condition should not be out in this heat. Nor should Mr Stark, for that manner," comes a familiar voice through the radio.

A familiar British voice is echoing in the air, and it makes her homesick. Tony smiles a little, with gritted teeth and taps a box that's clipped to his belt.

"Jarvis says hello. Just get in the car, Pepper."

She holds firm to her position, though it takes all her effort. She's missed Jarvis's calming influence nearly as much as she's missed the man in front of her. She isn't amused, and she isn't charmed, and refuses to be distracted, though. Not with this much at stake.

She tosses him her keys and leans against the car parked behind her. "It's just a car, Tony. Take it if you want. But I am not going to put up with your bullshit, and I'm not going to let you boss me around. I don't work for you anymore."

"Is that the case?" He asks too calmly. "Well, then all things considered I suppose that that really all I'm entitled to at this point is _this_."

Before she can blink he has stepped forward to deliver a punishing kiss. He's crowding her between the car and his body, making her feel more trapped than she even did before. He's kissing her, but not really – at least not completely, it feel a lot more like he's re-enacting a war.

There's heat there and passion between them, yes but also more rage than she can fully see. He's angry and lost and hurt and she gets the feeling this is more about him showing her that even if she doesn't work for him, he's still capable of bossing her around. The wave of male intimidation almost swamps her, and then the baby wakes up, moving and kicking inside of her in its own protest.

She's left a little dazed when Tony jumps back, and she almost laughs at the shock on his face before she remembers that she's pissed off at him.

"I'd like to kick you myself," she growls. "That wasn't an invitation for you to be a jackass." She shoves him in the chest and he impacts with the metal of her own car.

"I was in _love_ with you." He sounds as shocked as her when the words come out, but he doesn't hold them back, nor does he try to deny them. It's like something inside him has imploded and there's nothing left of him but harsh breathing and scalding heat. "I was in love with you, you selfish shit. Then I though you were dead. Are you following me?! Is it so much, after all of that, to ask for a real goodbye and a damn cup of coffee?!"

He spins then and heads back toward the water on legs that are far too unsteady. She notes the deep line of sweat that's soaked through his shirt. "Tony I…" But the words won't come. There are no words her mind will let her lie with and the truth is just too fucking hard to say. She watches him leave, her mind and heart in turmoil. He's right about how she left. It was a shitty thing to do. And it was cowardly to never call and tell him that she was fine.

If he hadn't immediately become pissed off, she probably would have acted more agreeably. God, at least half of this is her fault.

"Tony." He pauses when she calls his name again. "We can't go get coffee if you have my car keys." He shakes his head with his back still toward her and makes his way toward the sand.

From the car Jarvis speaks again, causing her to blink. "He is not allowed _coffee_. Ms Potts, you both need to get in the car…"

"Excuse me?" She asks after a moment. She sticks her head through the door to make sure that she can hear.

"Milk, juice, cocoa or decaffeinated tea are acceptable, though I would suggest that you give him a moment to calm down first."

She's about to ask how in hell Tony ended up on a food plan, but the AI is already continuing. "He's tachycardic. He needs his emergency dose of nitrates…if I can convince him to take them."

"Nitrates?" she mimics the words faintly. She opens her car door so that she can at least sit down and be blocked from the sun. The blazing air inside the vehicle does nothing to help her, but there's no chance of her falling on her ass now.

"Yes. He had a mild heart attack about three months ago. The doctors told him he needs to reduce his stress levels, or he's going to have a worse one. I agree. He is having issues...moderating himself at present though, particularly when he gets this angry."

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit." That certainly hadn't been in the papers. Pepper hauls herself out of the car and yells at her erstwhile employer, "Anthony Howard Stark, you get your ass in this car _now_!" Then she turned the air conditioner on. The man only raises one finger in her general direction as he heads toward the beach. "Tony!" He ignores her, so she decides to play dirty. "Tony! I –" She leans against the car like it's keeping her up. "Ohh..." The baby kicks again. This is, without question the first time she's deliberately used her pregnancy.

Her cry sends him spinning around as Jarvis apparently shares something with him through a different microphone. "Take a seat Ms Potts. I'm hardwired to his left ear…and he'll be back shortly" Tony is climbing back up the path in a matter of seconds, in sharp, tired strides that do nothing to hide his frustration.

"Move over, Potts." He refuses to make eye contact. In a matter of a moments though, he's moved her into the passenger seat, and climbed into the driver's one, shoving the seat back with more than the necessary amount of fervor. Then he's jamming the keys he has into the sedan's ignition, clearly intent on turning it on.

He's sweating, heavy, dark beads of sweat, and his breathing is ten times harder than she knows it should be. She reaches to turn the A/C on to his side completely with the fans at full blast, then leans back into her seat, one hand moving over her belly as she takes in his appearance.

Before he can put the car into reverse she quietly says, "You're going to yell at me, but Jarvis says you need to take your nitrates. And I think I agree."

"Jarvis can mind his own fucking business, and so can you," he snaps out. "Just tell me where I need to take you where you'll be able to rest – I'll find a payphone after and make a call to Happy so he can come bring me back here."

She puts her hand over his, preventing him from turning the ignition. Her fingers are trembling, but then so are his. Their palms are cold. "Tony, it was never my intention to hurt you, but sometimes shit happens. If you're hurting yourself now because you're mad at me, I'd prefer you just turn back into the spurned boss from hell."

"I'm fine," he spits out again. "I'm just _pissed off_. I don't _have_ my pills at present, and I'm sick of everybody trying to fucking nanny-goat me. I'm thirty seven fucking years old, and Jarvis is all but trying to bribe me with suckers..." He won't look at her...can't look at her maybe. The cool air seems to be helping a little though, because though he's still agitated his breathing has finally begun to slow.

"I'm a little old to be breaking old habits now, Stark," Pepper says in a dry tone. "It was my _job_ to nanny goat you. Where are your pills?"

He sighs a little, thumps his head on the steering wheel, than leaves it there after the third impact while he stares at the steering column. "Tell me where to take you and I'll drop you off. Then I'll go home and take them. I'm not going to argue, Pepper. I don't have the damn energy."

She realizes that for him, at this moment, never seeing her again might be one time too many. He's just so raw, and there's no place for any of it to safely go…

In the light of that fact she gives him the truth. It's the only thing she has.

"I was scared." She blurts the admission, unable to think of an elegant way to offer her olive branch. "I was scared when I found I was pregnant, I was scared when I left, I was scared when I decided not to come back, and I'm scared now, okay?"

The man in the driver's seat wheezes in a breath like it hurts. "How wonderful then, Pepper. Then there's two in the party." He leans his head back against the seat and struggles valiantly to breathe.

"Jarvis where is he staying?" She bites the word out and prays the microphone Tony's wearing in sensitive enough for the AI to hear.

"1402 6th Avenue." Jarvis suddenly spits the words out the microphone. They both jump in surprise as the AI electronically starts the car, and turns on its full OnStar function. A map of the route appears. "You can not keep doing this, Anthony. It is not rebellious, it is passively suicidal."

A silence fill the car then, for which there is no appropriate manner of breaking. Her hand clenches atop his, and he simply keeps his eyes closed. "You _have_ had it rough, haven't you?" Pepper asks as she lets go of his hand. She's almost reluctant to do so, but she wants him to be able to steer the car. "I don't know who to feel sorry for the most, Rhodes and Jarvis for having to corral you – or to try, at least – or you for having to put up with their bumbling." He must be going crazy.

Most people don't understand how to maneuver Anthony Stark properly. Hell, he probably doesn't know how she manages it himself.

"Rhodey and I aren't on speaking terms," he informs her after a moment, he opens his eyes and begins backing out of her parking spot. Pepper bites her lip and closes her eyes and she drops her head back against the headrest. She's unable not to ask.

"That my fault?" she asks, wondering just how much she's screwed up his life by trying to leave it as painlessly as she could. By the looks of it, far worse that she could ever have imagine.

"No." Tony's voice is like steel, "It's his fault for being a faithless jackass. He tried to convince me you were some kind of double agent for a foreign country's computer industry…"

The words hit her like a rock, and it's straight to the temple. Her head begins to throb. "Is that all there was to it?" She asks the question a little faintly. She's trying to force down the sour taste of betrayal in her stomach at the idea…but Tony isn't finished speaking…

"No, I also punched his lights out when he accused me of only thinking with my dick."

She's sure it's not the first time the good colonel has accused Tony of thinking with his dick, but she's pretty sure it's probably the first time her name has come into it. "Want me to call him? I don't have my phone with me, but then again it's about 3 am on the west coast anyway."

Tony shoots her a look that's almost panicked, than he shakes his head. He turns onto the side street as Jarvis instructs, then chooses his words carefully. "Call him and your ass is going to end up at the DOD, Pepper. Or worse. You're currently wanted for questioning."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** wow. You guys have just blown us away with your responses to this fic. So many thoughtful comments! We love that you're loving this, though we're having such a good time with it that we'd probably still write it even if we were getting flamed. ;)

- 4persephone and NeonDaisies

* * *

She blinks at him a minute, but he keeps on rambling…"I mean I've said a million times I'd vouch for you but no one is listening anymore. Your second in-depth background check just raised too many flags…they need to 'debrief' you" He finally looks over at her with a bitter grimace. "You need to keep your head to the ground until I get this straightened out, because if you don't, your kid might just be born at Gitmo. Rhodey's new CO isn't just a dick, he's also an incompetent and overreactive _prick_."

It should be laughable. It shouldn't bother her that someone is digging into her past because for one thing she knows there's nothing there to find and for another she can have this matter cleared up by noon. What she's not prepared for however, is the surge of guilt that washes through her. She turns her head away the moment she feels it, but it comes up on her like a huge wave that moves much too fast.

"Pepper..." His voice is kind of quiet, but there's a wry sort of humor caught up in the pain. "I know you're innocent. I've had Jarvis monitor every file that comes in and out of the mansion since I was sixteen. For the record though, the next time you have prior experience working with the CIA, I prefer you just _tell me_."

"What?" Her head snaps around so fast her neck cracks. Her eyes are wide as saucers, and she's unconsciously gripping the armrest on her door. She wants to deny it…but it's all there in his eyes, and there's no point in lying.

The grin that he shoots her when he speaks again stings, but not in the way that she expects it to. "Here's a hint for the guys up top: if they're gonna plant fake interview subjects for your background checks, they should really make sure that they all know how you actually take your coffee."

She stares at him in disbelief, and then covers her eyes with one hand. "Oh _god_. Oh my God." She can't believe it. _He knows._

He shrugs a little, face almost whimsical. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Pepper. I'm probably the only one who does know. I have to say...it adds a certain… _clarity_… to things. I mean, I always wondered why someone with your skills wasn't doing more than shit work as a PA when you could have been the head of your own company." He shakes his head, returning his gaze to the road. "Also I wondered about the thing on the roof...I mean I _know_ there's chemistry there...but I didn't get where all the fear was coming from. Now though I suppose I get it. You must have to stick to a set of rules when undercover and not sleeping with the man you're supposed to spy on pretty much tops the list."

Her hand slips down her face and this time her head turns towards him ever so slowly. "Tony," she says in a voice that's chock full of warning. "I _used_ to work for the government. Emphasis on _used to_, as in _formerly_. Getting your coffee every morning wasn't a ruse. I am not – _was_ not – working for _any_one but _you_."

"Come on now, Potts. Don't take it so hard. You wouldn't be the first plant I've had on my staff. At least you're loyal to the US of A." She only stares at him like he's grown another head. He continues on with a tone that almost sounds bemused. "I have to thank you for staying out of my bed, really...I mean a pretty face is a pretty face, but I'd really prefer not to have to spread my legs for my country."

She simply sits there and watches the world cave in. Stares at his features and knows he believes every word he's said.

"Actually, I think you're accusing _me_ of being the whore for my country." It's so wrong…so fucked up. She has no idea what to say. "Or at least, you're implying I considered it. However, seeing as how _I don't work for the government_, the point is moot. I didn't sleep with you because it would have turned me into a cliché."

"Yes, well as it turns out I'm one myself. I mean I haven't even kissed you and I am one. A cliché I mean." He shrugs "In the scope of things, I suppose that makes us pretty much even."

He didn't believe her, wasn't going to believe her. Of course she could try and beat the reality into him, but it probably wouldn't do too much good. She could be on the phone to Jess in ten minutes and have the man completely briefed, but it would change very little.

He'd lived with the idea - with the _doubt_ - for too long now. And sometimes fearing something might be real was as bad as having it happen. Sometimes it was worse.

She looks down at the baby asleep in her belly, looks back on all the agonizing choices she'd made to keep it. And then in that moment she wonders, for the first time if she'd done the right thing.

* * *

They get to his house and Pepper is out of the car before he had the engine turned off. She marches up the walk to the front door, blows past Happy who looks astonished, and goes into the kitchen to turn the heat on under the tea kettle. She slams around, looking for tea, sugar, cream, mugs, and just for the hell of slamming around. She's pissed off that Tony won't listen to her or believe her. He's essentially just said her only motivation for both working for him and resisting him was because someone else had told her to.

'I resisted him because he was an ass, and he proved it every fifteen minutes. The fact that he was hot as hell the other fourteen was a unfair distraction.'

Damn it! What did the man think she'd done at the frickin' CIA? Honestly, it wasn't much different than what she'd done for him, just without all the babysitting. She is – was – _damn_ good at what she does, and he seems to think that it was all some ruse so that big brother could keep his eye on him?!

Unbelievable. The man is not at _all_ observant. That's what _Happy_'s job is. Honestly, the government also had a very big stake in seeing the bastard kept alive. He's been watching Tony since the man was twenty-four, and all Tony sees when he looks at the man is a smiling face that lets him eat too many cheeseburgers.

"Ms Potts." Happy has followed her into the kitchen. He has the biggest, dumbest shit ass grin on his face she's ever seen. "It is _so good_ to see you M'am. He's been _impossible_, I'm telling you…." He hugs her than startles as the baby kicks, "Whoa, when did you get a kid?"

"She doesn't have one yet." Tony's voice is dry as he follows her in and hands Happy her only set of keys. "I believe the term that applies in her case is 'a new work in process.' Now I want you to find Larry and get him to bring the second car around. You and he are going to be bringing the lovely mama-to-be home just as soon as she stops glaring holes through walls and finishes her non-caffeinated cup of baby-safe tea."

"Why is he wandering around alone?" she demands, ignoring Tony and addressing her question to Happy. "Or are you wired to Jarvis too? You didn't seem to know we were coming."

Happy snorts. "He slips the leash so often these days we pick our fights. Besides he's more agreeable when he's let out to run for awhile. Jarvis hasn't spoken to me yet today; he was on babysitting duty."

"I'm so glad to hear you referring to me as if I were your _dog_," Tony barks out with derision. "For the record, after you drop off Pepper, I'm taking a shower, and then you and Larry are _fired_."

Pepper rolled her eyes. "You're not firing Happy, Tony." She looks at the bulkier man, "If this is 'agreeable,' I shudder to think what he's been like before today."

"You have no idea in hell, Ma'am," is Happy's morose reply. Tony snorts to himself and heads over to the refrigerator.

"For the official record, Happy, she's not on the payroll anymore. That means she doesn't get any say." He pours himself a glass of water and drinks it down, "That mean you're fired...after you get her safely home, of course. Now if this act of the three stooges is done, I'm going to change and head into downtown for the day."

"If I'm CIA then I outrank you," she snaps. "And you're not going anywhere." She slams a second glass of water onto the table in front of him; it sloshes everywhere, including on his dirty shirt. With a lesser slam she puts down a prescription bottle. "Bottoms up, Stark. Take your pills and then try and look pretty."

He all but snarls, "I don't _need_ them. I can stay calm if people will fucking leave me alone." And he slams into what can only be the back bedroom, leaving the bottle still unopened.

Happy watches him go with a low groan and then he winces. "And he was in a good mood...well, what passes for it these days. He doesn't need the nitrates, Potts. If he's not having trouble breathing, he just needs to calm down... How in heck did you get here? Were you just feeling saintly today?"

"Jarvis said he needed them." She replies back with fervor. She ignores the dig about her return, because it doesn't really matter at the moment. Happy looks over head at her words, and calm voice rang out of the overhead speakers as Jarvis chimes in at last. "He did not take his morning meds, Happy. He was up and out to the beach by 4:30. And his breathing still is not as good as it should be. He and Pepper encountered one another by mistake…"

'Mistake indeed.' The universe has a sick sense of humor. Pepper makes the effort to calm down. She rubs her belly, wincing as the baby shifts and starts kicking at her spine. "Happy, leave my car where it is. I'm going to sit down for awhile. Then we're going to have a talk…I'm in this for worse or for better…"

Larry, who has also entered by now smiles and leads her to a stuffed chair in one corner. "You look amazing, and I can not begin to tell you how much we've missed you."

She sits there in silence and drinks her tea. It takes her fifteen minutes, and then Happy offers her another, which she accepts. By the end of the second cup the tsunami inside her has finally settled, and the room she's begins to come into a much better focus. The place is shabby. Far below usual Stark standards, which makes no sense. With all the five star hotels down by the river in the city, what were they even doing here? "Happy, why in hell aren't you all at the Hilton? This place is a pigsty. I can't believe he's actually staying here."

Happy's been in the kitchen all this time, washing dishes in the sink. He puts down a plate and comes to squat down in front of her, shaking his head with a wry smile. "We _do_ have a regular suite back in town at the Hilton, Pepper. He just refuses to use it." He draws a deep breath, "He's supposed to be here recovering, but he's not exactly towing the line. Rhodes arranged for a doctor to make regular check ups and he went AWOL on us. We found him down in a tent on Tybee beach with a huge umbrella and the keys to this pathetic little place."

The headache is back and she rubs at the back of her neck without much hope. These tension headaches have been killing her for weeks now. "How long has he been on that prescription? And don't sugarcoat it. I have _never_ seen him this out of control before."

She trusts Happy to be honest. He's Tony's employee. The fact he was once her friend has nothing to do with it at the moment, which is why she asks.

Happy shrugs. "After the heart attack they put him on several drugs...before that it was just a bad temper...now he's easily dizzy and surly." The chauffer shrugs again and shakes his head. "He and Colonel Rhodes had a falling out that was nasty, Pepper – I've honestly never seen anything like it. Rhodes has been trying to get him to talk to him for weeks but Tony won't even acknowledge he exists."

Pepper looks at Happy. Goes for broke. "Tell me the truth: how much of this is my fault? And again, don't sugarcoat it."

She waits for an answer almost dreading the outcome. The man is personally responsible for Tony's physical wellbeing. His first loyalty has always been to his employer. Pepper figures it is going to be as unprejudiced an answer as she can hope to get.

Happy only shrugs. "That's a matter of perspective, Pepper. Depends on how direct you are with the whole subject of cause and effect."

She shoots him a glare, and Happy sighs in defeat, then he stares up at the ceiling a minute before he tries again with a clear explanation.

"Look…your leaving hurt a lot. You know how much he hates change. You….the two of you fit together, Pepper, better than any other friends or working colleagues I've ever seen. Still..." The bodyguard looks apologetic, "you didn't know how much kerfuffle you absence would cause. And you didn't cause the worst of this mess." Happy sighs in frustration. "He was already obsessed, Potts. He worked for days on end and never ate or even slept. That's not your fault. Still, if he hadn't insisted on flying out personally to identify what they thought at the time was your body…" Happy grimaces, "I don't think the heart attack would have happened, Pepper. He simply had nothing left."

She shudders. "God, I thought he was exaggerating." Then she opens her eyes again and looks at Happy with a tightened jawline. The woman she becomes when she starts giving orders is someone she hadn't thought even existed anymore. "Look, I want you and Larry to leave. Take a break until I call you. I'm perfectly capable of babysitting for a couple of hours, and he needs the space. I'll let him come to me." She smiles, a little, down into her glass. "Hell, if he'll stop pushing my buttons for ten whole seconds I bet we can even have something resembling an adult conversation."

Happy nods a little, looking incredibly relieved. She doesn't process that he's actually acknowledging her superior authority when he agrees to the idea. "Probably best to get out of Dodge then. I've noticed if you stop harassing him about stuff, he actually manages pretty well." The chauffer heads for the door the, barking one last set of orders. "Jarvis...please act as back up for Pepper if she needs it and let us know if he leaves the property...though you don't have to try and stop him. Frankly I don't care if he wants to spend another afternoon making god-damn sand castles as long as we know where he is. Just make sure he takes in enough water – he's off-weight and sunburned bad enough as it is."

And that's all there is to it. The house empties out. Once they are gone the whole place is silent, apart from the low hum of a monitor on the desk across the room. "Jarvis," she whispers into the air.

"Yes, did you need something, Ms Potts?"

"Where's the phone? I need to call home."

"In the kitchen next to the fridge. Mr Stark is fine, by the way. He is currently showering."

"Thanks, Jarvis." Pepper hauls herself out of the chair by sheer force of will. The armchair's comfortable, but soft and deep and she doesn't have as much flexibility as she one did.

She wanders into the kitchen and finds the phone. As she dials and waits for Mick to pick up, she finds the bread and pops two slices into the toaster. She's starving, and experience tells her that her brother usually takes ages to actually answer the phone.

"Bob's morgue, you stab 'em we slab 'em." The guy on the other end's far too awake.

"Hey, Mick. It's me." Lord, she hates when he does that.

"Ginny?" There's a pause and a relieved string of swearing, "Where in the heck are you, Virginia? It's almost ten!"

"Is it?" No wonder she's starving. "I, um…I ran into someone I know. He needed...well, _needs_ some help, I suppose. I'm here at his house for the moment."

There's a long pause at the other end. "Oh god, did you run into the bastard?" He uses his preferred nickname for the guy who's knocked her up, since she refuses to provide an actual title.

"No. But Tony Stark just charged back into my life. I'm going to be here awhile"

There's a long pause, before Mick lets out a whistle. "Mr 'Hot and Steamy?' Be still my heart."

She cringes at the way he sounds like a bad impression of someone doing a bad impression of a thirteen year old fangirl with too much caffeine. "My _god_, Michael, could you sound anymore gay? But seriously, we both know you're not his biggest fan."

"Of course I'm not. Because he's a bastard. You've been here five months and you still won't talk about him. This doesn't strike me as a man I _should_ particularly like. Especially since he knocked you up."

"For the last time he is _not _the father, Michael, and there was never any chance that he could be."

There's silence on the other end. She can feels his skepticism. She draws a breath in irritation. Why does he refuse to believe her anyway? "It's just...hard, Mick. And complicated. And getting more so by the moment. So curb your tongue and give me a goddamn five minute break."

Pepper digs the butter and strawberry jam out of the fridge, then also pulls out the bottle of orange juice. There are eggs inside, but she's not sure she has the energy to make an omelette.

"He's the prick who obviously didn't return your affections, Pepper. How on earth do you expect me to feel about the guy who broke your heart? My only real question when I meet him is can I kill him with my bare hands or should I use a sharpened baseball bat?"

This was so typical. This was so Mick. It was almost kind of sweet, though it was also undeniably annoying. "First of all, Tony's got a robotic suit at home that could make mincemeat out of you. Second of all, if I wanted to hurt him I know how to kill him with my bare hands."

She tries to hold it together. "He thought I was dead Mick. And I just found out he had a heart attack after IDing what he thought at the time was my body..."

There's a long pause on the other end. "And one more thing, when I left he kind of didn't know I was pregnant. I never shared that information"

"Well, shit," her brother says after a moment's contemplation. There's a exhalation of breath and a low, disbelieving whistle. "Does this mean I actually have to be civil to the guy? Because that's going to take some time to wrap my head around."

"Um...only if you meet." She prays to God that never happens. There's a long silence on the other end, and then she can hear Michael moving. He sounds like he's packing things up, and she feels her stomach start to sink.

"Oh, you can bet your sweet little rear we're meeting, Virginia. I'm coming over there right now. Address, please. I can't bring over the coffeecake I so thoughtfully made if I don't know where you are."

"Um, no?" she says with no little amount of panic. "I'm the oldest, this is my life, and did I mention I know how to kill people with my bare hands?"

"The hot bastard is in _town_, Sis. There's no way in hell I'm not coming over there to meet him. Not if he's not a bastard after all."

"Will you stop calling him hot? It's creeping me out." Pepper holds the phone between her shoulder and her ear as she used both hands to make her toast. "Besides, this is no big deal. We both agree that I don't work for him anymore. This is just a temporary situation…"

"I made the good coffee cake, 'Pepper.' The one with the apples and caramel swirls on the top. Now you can either tell me where you are, or I can call up Stanley in tech support and have him trace the call from my cell phone. He thinks pregnant women are _hot,_ Sis. Do you really want to mess with me here?"

"Michael...please." She pleads in exasperation, "One unreasonable man is all I can deal with in one day. And you didn't wake up soon enough to make it to the top of my list."

"So I'm right then...you are glad he's here. So what's he wearing? Something that shows off his chest?"

Pepper laughs, resigned. "I'm hanging up now."

"Cool. I should be over in about an hour. You can make up the coffee."

"Death. Bare hands." Brothers were a little like puppies. They messed all over your shoes and yet you got attached to their big puppy eyes. "If I catch you drooling over him in public, Mick, I'm going to put up those pictures from your sixteen birthday up on youtube. And yes, I mean the one with you in that damn dress."

Pepper hangs up then, hoping rather desperately her half-crazy brother's not going to show up on Tony's doorstep. Apparently having your pregnant and very much alone sister show up at your house for the first time in years does strange things to a man. He's been trying to hook her up with everyone he knows while simultaneously protecting her from every man who as much as looks at her twice. It's both endearing and creepy.

He and Tony are either going to kill each other or they are going to bond. The second in particular is frightening. She does her best not to dwell on it. 'Well...' If she left now she could probably get home before Mick left the house, and that would keep him from driving over here because he'd be too distracted by fussing over her to worry about Tony for long. And how long could Tony possibly be planning to stay?

"I've got to get out of here," she mutters to herself as she tries to remember what happened to her keys.

"Good luck with that," comes a sardonic voice from behind her. "After all, according to Jarvis, you just ran off Happy and Larry and they were your only ride home. I've apparently been 'grounded.'"

Pepper's head flies up in surprise and she braces herself against the counter as she wobbles a little. Damnit, after all those years of walking around in heels all it's taken is a severe case of pregnancy to throw off her whole center of gravity. At least she can comfort herself with the belief that she wouldn't have wobbled if she'd heard him come into the room in the first place.

When she sees him staring at the hand she caught her balance with she pulls it away from the counter and tucks it behind her. "What are you looking at?" The words come out in a whisper. She's blushing even if she doesn't want to.

His voice is soft. "Your knuckles are swollen, and I've never seen you act even slightly off balance. I assume it's all because of the pregnancy."

His tone makes her heart hurt. This is the Tony she tried to keep alive in her memory. This kind of puzzled, kind of shy, kind of awkward man in front of her who can't tear his eyes away. His eyes are on her now, truly on her for the first time since the 23rd of December. She can see his detailed observations running behind his eyes as he pieces together everything about her that's become the new reality. She tries to distract him, tries to remind him that she's nothing special. "I'm swollen _every_where, Tony. Kinda comes with the package."

He smiles at that statement, as if it's the dumbest things she's ever said, but nods. "Yeah, I can't help but, well…notice that."

He's not looked his fill though, and she is beginning to remember other things. The most important of the list being that the most powerful tool in Tony's arsenal of charisma is not his good looks, it's his almost unwavering ability to pay attention when he chooses to do so. He's doing that now...assessing her like she's a human schematic. It's like he thinks that he can summarize the months apart via the new curve of her waist and heaviness of her now swollen breasts….

Come to think of it maybe telling the man everything about her was swollen hadn't been the best idea she's ever had. She's thought until this moment that both of them were too tired or broken or something for hormones, but the way her nipples have just tightened under the fabric of her shirt rather negates that idea.

"When are you due?" His voice is both smoke and gravel as he steps a little closer. His hand comes out like he wants to touch her belly, but he gives her space, staring at the pronounced bump instead.

This is uncomfortably close to a discussion she doesn't want to have. Not because she doesn't think he deserves the information, but because she can't bear to be torn up in that way. Or to tear him up. He's so very good at math.

He wants to know who the father is, but she won't…no, she _can't_, bring herself to tell him.

"Middle of August," she replies, skirting as close to the truth as she's willing. "So I have almost two full months of swelling to look forward to still."

She can see as the ticker behind his eyes starts counting back the days. Comparing it to his calendar and hers, forming various suppositions. "You're big for seven months, Potts. Sure that your doctor got the dates right?"

She rolls her eyes "I'm going to one of the best doctors in Savannah, Tony. I think he knows what he's doing." Not to mention that there'd hardly been a multitude of dates to chose from.

He raises his hands, as if trying to show he was unarmed. "Not trying to insult...just don't have much experience with the subject. You look phenomenal. Kind of glowy I guess."

She doesn't know it, but he's not cataloguing conception. He's tracking their morning greeting ritual in his memory, and trying to find that particular look in her eyes. He's never told her but he's known pretty much from the second month he hired her how she looks after a night of good sex.

Her body changes when she's been with someone, and her back gets a little straighter. It's the sexiest thing he's ever seen. Though he's never been dumb enough to comment on it.

There is no look like that in his memory though, that fits the dates and times she's trying too hard not to give him.

Pepper accepts the apology, looking a bit sheepish. "Sorry. No woman wants to hear she's bigger than she ought to be." She carefully steps away from the counter, hoping he'll break his careful survey of her if she moves. "I'm fine. I'm good. I weigh exactly what I should, so there's no reason to be worried."

He nods. "Pregnancy seems to suit your coloring, you know. Your freckles are darker..." He seems to realize he's babbling, so he shuts up and reaches to gently tug on her hair. "This has changed too. It looks a full two shades redder."

"Hormones," she murmurs. "Fantastic hair, fantastic skin. The tense shoulders and swollen ankles are just to even things out, I suspect, otherwise women might always want to be pregnant."

He smirks at the comment. Gives into temptation finally. His palm settles on her belly with a touch so light she can scarcely feel it. "I take it you consider that a bad thing…being pregnant all the time then. You don't want a big family?"

'It's kinda rough on the body,' she thinks, but doesn't say it. She's too scared by the way _he_ sounds, as if he thinks it might be a fine idea indeed. Very gently she pulls herself back from his touch.

"Tony..." She doesn't even know what she's trying to express. He's calm now, and she knows she doesn't want to upset that balance. But they're out of their natural habitat, they're without the barriers that have always been between them, and yet there's more walls between them than ever before. And she sees no way to resolve things between them.

She knows he doesn't trust her, even if he wants to. The look in his eyes may be soft and genuine, but it's not even remotely half the story. They've had such an extreme shift in the mechanics of their relationship that she's not sure they'll ever truly reconcile, much less recover.

"I wasn't supposed to get pregnant, Tony. Oh god, it wasn't supposed to be like this." And she's blinking back tears she hasn't shed since making the decision to drive across the country. And those couldn't last long because she'd needed a clear head to make her plans. "I never meant…but I want…" She wants things that aren't possible anymore.

She feels herself finally start to cry.

She doesn't know what it is she expects him to do in response, but before she can worry about it, it's too late. He's across the room and hugging the shit out of her, effectively comforting at the same moment he lifts control from her hands. She's wondered for years what this would feel like – to really hug him. Which is pretty sad really, since it's such a simple gesture, really, to be so starved for what it's her own fault she's never had...

It wasn't until after she left that she realized how little in their lives the two of them had ever touched. She knows this is odd, because in some ways Tony Stark is the most physical man she's ever met, every part of him – from the hands he covered in grease to the mind he saturated in science – was in a relentless, never ending search for contact.

Despite all this, she can count the number of times he's touched her on one hand. He's always respected her need for distance and she didn't realize how much she hated that until she was gone and there was nothing in her memory to feed her soul on but the changes in his eyes and the smell of him heavy with sweat. She presses as close as she can and turns her head so that her soft sobs are muffled against his shoulder. Her forehead is pressing tightly against his neck and she can feel his shirt growing wet under her face...and yet she still cries.

"Shh now...easy." His words are a murmur, he's letting out a slow steady drone that vibrates through both theirs chests. She knows she's scaring him; hell, she's scaring herself.

She cries because when she'd considered the circumstances under which she might become pregnant, a stupid one night stand had never entered the picture. She cries because she's so sick of being strong that the thought of not crying is nauseating. She cries because of all the hurt she's caused the man in her arms, because she never even once considered that he'd rather work through this with her rather than have her take the matter out of his hands entirely.

She cries because it's unfair of him to expect she know that when it's always been her job to make his life easier and not harder. She cries for wasted time, for shattered dreams, for lost companionship, for her lost best friend.

She cries because she did something stupid, and the results were far bigger than she expected.

He lets her bawl perhaps five minutes, and then he lifts her chin and looks her right in the face. His eyes are whimsical, a little tender. "You're an idiot sometimes, Virginia. Biggest one I've ever seen. I've never been able to figure you out. Probably never will for that matter."

She doesn't understand why he's smiling as he says it, like it's some kind of compliment. But it doesn't matter because right now she doesn't really understand anything, and the world hasn't imploded. He sees something in her face than he must have been looking for. "Come on now, Ms Potts. Time for good pregnant girls to go to sleep."

She's the farthest thing from a good girl as she could be, but she is pregnant so she lets him lead her through the house to what must be his bedroom. She opens her mouth once to make a weak objection when he prods her toward the bed, but he just looks at her and she thinks better of it. She's tired of the stress, tired of the pain. For once she just lets someone else take the lead and the blame.

Anthony Stark sits her down on a mattress, bends to remove her shoes and strip off her socks. "Are you cold right now, or can you do without a blanket?" She shakes her head.

It takes him precisely five seconds tuck her in – she is asleep literally before her head hits the pillow.

And it never crosses her mind, that ironically, after almost ten years she's finally in Anthony Stark's bed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note**: come on, you all know the drill by now. I admit that 4persephone and I are overwhelmed by the thoughtful feedback, we thank you all lavishly, and show our thanks by posting more. :) So far, this seems to be working for everyone. ;-P

Many questions answered this chapter. Of course, I suspect many will also be raised.

* * *

Pepper falls asleep with the desperation of a soul that's going under. She's shaky, exhausted, tired and incomplete. He wonders if she even realizes she never stopped clinging to his shirt. He knows the chance is unlikely. Her body doesn't so much give into the softness of his bed as it surrenders, which leaves him there to study her as much as he wants with no interruption. Nearly forty-five minutes later, he's still not entirely sure what to make of what he sees.

This creature who's in his bed is absolutely familiar, and yet somehow a stranger all at the same time. Her face, her curves…hell, even her eyes are nothing like the person he'd remembered her to be.

She seems a thousand times more fragile, and that knots something in his stomach. It also causes a tightness in his gut that he's only beginning to become familiar with.

He doesn't get this protective of most things in his life. And he freely admits he's not sure what to do with the instinct. He knows what he _wants_ to do with it…

But what he wants doesn't matter in the universe he's living in. What he wants hasn't mattered in almost six months, if not longer than that. What he wants was long ago shattered by the simpler matters like what he has and he needs. He has...or had...a hole in his life he hadn't asked for. He has more abandonment issues than one man could possible dream.

What he _wants_? Well that's another question. One he hasn't considered in so long he's not sure he's got an answer

Pepper shifts on the bed restlessly. There's a little frown on her face as her legs scissor against the mattress, and her head rolls back. When she opens her eyes it looks like she's woken up and he's been caught. However, she just looks around the room, then up at him. The frown smoothes out and her eyes slip closed again.

"Tony..." Her hand tightens in his shirt, then her grip slackens for the first time and her hand comes to rest against his hip. She sighs. Slowly her breath evens out again.

Even in sleep, it appears his presence brings comfort.

He looks down at her again, takes in the lines on her face. Takes in the slope of her belly and the swelling of her knuckles, and the way she keeps her free arm in close to her body. In the heat of this August morning it should be too warm for her to look cold, but it didn't stop her from pulling into as near to a fetal position as she could get.

Under the blanket he's laid over her he can see minute movements from the front of her body. The baby inside is not as restful as its mother.

He wonders if it is a girl or a boy. He wonders if this person – this 'Mick,' was actually the baby's father.

She surfaces again about twenty minutes later, but he's looking at the wall and doesn't notice. Pepper watches him, her eyes tracing the part of his face she can see.

He is sunburned; she hadn't noticed earlier. And his face is thinner than she's seen it since he came back from Afghanistan. Perhaps thinner still than it had been then. He's frowning, and it concerns her.

"What are you thinking about?" she asks softly, though she's not sure she really wants to know. The only thing she can be certain of is that it breaks her heart to know she's caused him so much pain and that she wants to heal it if she can.

"Too many things to even count, Pepper. And half of them would get me hit. Well, at least probably."

There's no teasing in his voice, nor even a hint of suggestion. His eyes turn to hers, and what she sees is regret. There is more in his face than she thinks he's even aware of. She sees loneliness and isolation. Terrible, terrible possessiveness that's equally mixed with jealousy and a kind of resigned hesitation. "This Mick you mentioned...is he the father? I mean, is that why you insisted on leaving LA? Did you need to be near him?"

He doesn't voice the other questions. "Do you love him? Where does that love - or your child - leave any room for me?"

"Mick's my brother. Half brother, really. I don't have any other family left. Well, his mother's still alive, but the two of us never got along. I didn't want to get along. Didn't really want to get along with Mick, either, but he's...persistent." She smiles, but there's guilt on her face. "Besides, I thought he was out of the country and wouldn't mind if I used his house until he got back."

"If he's not the dad...well, is he here? Is that why you chose to leave?"

"I left because I was choking on the shame of lying to you every day." The words are acidic, but not intended to hurt him. If they've hurt anyone, it's the woman they've been chewing on for six months.

"Lying to me about _what_?" He asks the question not just because he needs to know the answer himself but because she's even worse off. She's drowning in the not saying.

Her eyes close and he can see her mouth a word that looks a lot like 'shit.' She starts trembling and she presses her head against his hip. "Mark Delaney," she chokes out.

"Mark De'whoeey?" He's honestly confused. How does he know that name?

It's like just saying the words has pulled the plug on her vat of self contempt. "Delaney," she repeats after she turns her face towards his. She meets his eyes for a split second, then glances away. "Eighth floor. VP of marketing."

He makes himself stop and think about the name. Comes up with a dark haired man with a slight but well muscled frame and a carefully trimmed goatee. He's a little surprised really. Not that she had sex with him, but with the fact that it's the first time she's ever dated inside the company.

"I thought you had a policy of not laying down where you worked?" he said with a little confusion.

She shudders at the words and his confusion turns to a frown. "Okay, you're scaring me with that look. Did you not...my god, Pepper. What happened?"

"I didn't pick him up at the office. I'd gone out with some friends. Had few drinks. He came over to say hi... Everyone kept gushing over how good looking he was. So when he came back to ask me to dance, I said yes."

She puts her hand over her eyes and rubs her brow. "We'd all had a little too much to drink. They talked me into going with him. Said it was probably the only way I was going to get over..." She trails off. "Not that I didn't think it was a brilliant idea. It wasn't until I woke up with a hangover the next morning that I decided it probably hadn't been."

A hangover wasn't the only thing she'd woken up with. Or not with. The bed had been there, but Delaney hadn't been. She remembers being late to work that morning and seeing Tony. He'd smiled at her, teased her about oversleeping.

All she'd felt was a crushing sense of guilt. Like she'd cheated on him. She'd realized that morning that he wasn't just her boss, or her best friend. She'd loved him...and she'd wasted her time on someone who was supposed to make her stop loving him.

She was such a fool.

The baby kicked in between them. Tony just stands there silent. His processing takes longer than she expects. She forces herself to lift her head and study his face. His features are...she's not sure how to describe them. There's agonized possession in his eyes, but there's also an almost bottomless pit of rage.

"Were you drunk, Pepper, or were you just tipsy? Because if you were too out of your mind to think better of it, the legal term is _rape_." His hands clench into fists as he mutters the last word, and she realizes he's starting to sweat profusely through his shirt once again.

"Tony," she says urgently. "No. I knew what I was doing. And I hadn't had any more to drink than he had. It was just...just the worst mistake of my life, thinking I could substitute him –" She looks away. _God_. She'd _promised_ herself she wouldn't do this to him. But it's too late for that because she can feel his gaze burning into her skin.

"For what?" His tone is steel.

"For you," she finishes on a whisper.

The look on his face is awful. There's rage, and this time some of it is directed towards her. The possessiveness is back and she shrinks back when he makes an aborted move towards her. She doesn't know what her own face is communicating, but whatever it is has Tony spinning on his heel and marching out the door without a single look back. She hears something shatter in the living room along with a wordless roar that sounds the way his face looked. Jarvis says something, and Tony tells him to shut the fuck up. Something else breaks, and then the front door slams shut.

For the longest time Pepper can't force herself out of bed, but she does. She wants to take a shower. She wants to feel clean. And she doesn't go after Tony because she needs the time to think.

He'll come back. If she's gone when he does, it might just finish him off. Her time will be put to better use if she starts organizing her thoughts now.

He's going to demand some sort of reckoning from her.

* * *

"It was just...just the worst mistake of my life, thinking I could substitute him –" He could kill her when she pauses. Despite her denials, he's not convinced that she wasn't raped. Nothing else explains the self-loathing he sees in her, her bitterness.

Well, nothing else explains it until she finishes. "For you."

Something in his head pops, blinding him with a flashing light that just about literally leaves him seeing red. He stares down at her, and _god_, for a brief moment he _hates_ her. Hates her for her goddamned _stubbornness_, her fucking purposeful _ignorance._ Hates her for breathing hope into him and ripping his heart out of his chest and stomping on it at the same time. Hates her because he _knows_ now that she belongs to him, that _nothing_ can keep him from claiming her, and _because_ she's his and under his protection he can't keep hating her without destroying her.

And he loves her _so fucking much._

He leaves the room because he doesn't miss the way she flinches away from him, and because he knows she's right to do so. He wants to wring her neck, wants to shake her, wants to spank her until her ass is red and then he wants to kiss her until she finally admits to both of them the one thing she hasn't yet said.

That she loves him. Why else would she be too ashamed to face him? So ashamed she had to leave him?

How much pain and loss and destruction had she let her fear – her cowardice – force them into?

There's no need to hold in his rage once he's in the living room. He knows she'll be able to hear him, but all that matters is that he won't be able to hurt her. Even now he can't hurt her, and he wants her to never doubt that. He never wants her to _not_ come to him in the future because of what happens here.

He picks up some knickknack that came with the place and throws it against the wall as hard as he can. It hits a picture and they both shatter and fall to the ground. It's music to his ears.

"Anthony your vitals are way beyond –"

"Shut the fuck up, Jarvis!"

He grabs a lamp and throws that against the wall too before he rips Jarvis's link out of his ear and storms out of the house. He can't stay there, can't stay enclosed when it feels like he's ripping apart. If he's going to lose control it's going to be someplace where he's not going to hurt her.

For a split second he considers hot wiring her car and driving it into town. But he'd probably run himself or someone else off the road at this point, and probably die of alcohol poisoning if he starts drinking, so he heads down the path to the beach. Behind him a vehicle pulls up to the house but he ignores it. Until he hears the sound of feet.

He walks alone for about two minutes before he hears running footsteps on the boardwalk behind him. His first thought is that it's Pepper, and his heart seizes up – What is the idiot thinking? – and he turns to order her back to the house.

But it's not Pepper. It's a man with sunbleached hair and dark brown eyes dressed in a pair of loose shorts and a t-shirt. 'Jogger,' Tony immediately dismisses, and heads back towards the beach.

And the footsteps follow along behind him. They're fewer than his, but than the other man's legs are longer. Still, after about three minutes he pauses to rest beside a vending stand, and the sound of the feet that are trailing behind him immediately stop.

"Stanley," the man calls out as he gets closer to the small stand. "Two of your normals, please, and one bottled water."

Before he can even blink the he's being handed an ice cream cone and a bottle of ice cold, dripping wet Aquafina.

He takes it, kind of dumbfounded, and then he turns to the man who'd ordered this up. It's the jogger. "Who the hell are you?" he demands. The ice cream is already starting to melt over his knuckles, but Tony doesn't eat any. He's still too pissed off to care, and this guy looks like a more promising target than the woman he left behind.

The man in question shrugs. "Just a local who doesn't want a guy having a bad day to die on our tarmac. It kind of screws up the tourism."

'Uh huh' "That's why you parked in front of my house." His tone is cynical and disbelieving.

The blond looks him up and down, raises a brow a little. "Actually, no. I did that 'cause it's not that far from you place to the beach, and only yuppie idiots actually pay for any parking around here." Then he looks him up and down. "Also...I thought you looked familiar, though I didn't realize why at the time. Iron Man – or should I say Tony Stark? I'm guessing you're new to the neighborhood? Trying to keep a low profile?"

Tony drops the ice cream he's not going to eat in the garbage and meets the stranger's eyes again. "Who the hell are you?" he repeats with a growing snarl.

"Right now? A friend. If you don't stop acting like a complete and utter shit? The guy who's going to pound the hell out of you for fucking up my sister."

'Sister?' Pepper. She'd mentioned a brother. "Mick." Tony smiles an empty smile, then turns around and walks away.

"Yup," is the only answer given. For perhaps ten minutes combat boots follow sneakers in silent pacing. Mick keeps his distance. As Tony finally reaches on of the walkways over the beach the man speaks. "So, uhm... Welcome to the family."

"What makes you think I have any interest at all in joining your family?" _God_, what was he going to do with _Pepper_? Much less this guy?

Mick snorts. "What makes you think I have any interest in you being in it? Kind of out of our hands here, though. I mean, face it: we both sorta love the same woman, though I pray to all gods that it's not the same way."

There's something...affable about this man. Something outrageous but honest that just can't be avoided. Tony wonders if he comes across this way to other people. It's annoying as _shit_.

"What makes you think she loves me? Not my kid in her belly." The words peel off another strip of his skin. It _should_ have been. Should _be_ his child in Pepper's womb. Should have been him at her side the last six months.

Mick doesn't even hesitate. "For somebody who didn't knock her up you still feature pretty damn heavily in her words when she's asleep. As for this kid..." The man shrugs a little and falls into perfect step beside him. "It's hers. Kinda all that matters to me at the moment."

"Good for you. It never stood in chance in hell of being your kid." Tony takes another step. "What the fuck are you doing following me? It's at least 110 degrees out here."

"Exactly. It's 110. You're not a native. You look like you're ten steps away from falling over. What, I'm supposed to leave you out hear to rot where you drop? Ginny's sick enough already without adding that trauma to the till."

The way his heart skips a couple beats is reason for concern, but he ignores it. Instead he whirls on the idiot following him and demands, "What do you mean Pepper's 'sick enough'? She's already told me that she's healthy."

Mick snorts. "Like hell. One – abnormally high blood pressure. Two – Gestational diabetes that they've barely got controlled at the moment. Three – mounting ulcers from some messed up shit that she refuses to talk about, because she's a passive-aggressive little twit." He sighs in exasperation and pushes his hair back off his forehead. "I want to spank her sometimes, but it probably wouldn't help. She comes by it honestly. Our father was a real fuckwit and _her_ mom..." He shudders, "Well let's just save me the need to get drunk and agree not to talk about it."

"Funny. She feels the same way about your mother." Tony tries not to get angry. The heat has sapped most of it away, but if he hears much more of this it might try to rally.

He tells himself that she's hardly had a chance to tell him anything. They haven't even been in each other's company for eight hours yet, and he doubted a woman led right off with the state of her pregnancy with a man to whom she had to explain how she got pregnant. He'd ask her about it later, see what she said, and then he could get angry if she tried to evade his questions.

"My mom was a lousy judge of character who fell for a man who was obsessed with his work. Not great, I know but at least she wasn't a pathetic idiot who got so addicted to crystal meth that she was turning tricks with a nine year old in the house. When the bitch finally died and Ginny came to live with us it took my mom ten months to convince her that cooking, cleaning and paying the monthly bills should not be a part of a ten year old's daily routine."

"That explains a lot." It's an unkind sentiment, and Tony expresses it unkindly. He feels a little guilty about of course, but it's not enough to offset the amount of frustration it bleeds off.

The images being painted in his head are not helping his mood. Not fixing things or providing insight that he's particularly ready to face.

"Yeah, well, good luck trying to get her to be any different. I doubt she remembers a time in her life she wasn't taking care of everyone else." The blond sighs and wipes his hand across his forehead. "Look, can we at least go down by the water to continue our little chat? Because there's a stand about three hundred yards away that makes the best apple juice in the world."

"You can do whatever you want." Tony scowls and continues on down the boardwalk. The blond follows him after a moment, head shaking in pure exasperation.

"You're as bad as she is, you know that?" Mick marvels. "Albeit in a totally different, far more male masochistic way."

"Yeah, when the person you love tells you they got drunk and slept with someone else as a substitute for you, come back and talk to me about masochistic."

The words draw the other man up short. Mick whistles, loud and low, then cusses fluently. "Okay, that explains a lot. I take back what I said a few minutes ago. Spanking probably would help."

"If I'd thought I could stop at spanking, I would have," Tony answers honestly. Unfortunately that is not really an option available. For one thing, she'd probably let him which is so fucked up it doesn't even deserve contemplating. For another it doesn't even fix the crux of the problem. He's having serious issues with his persona; a sense of screamingly threatened Pepper possession. About the only thing that was going to fix _that_, though was sex. And that right now? With them this fucked up?

No. Uh uh. Not going to happen. No way.

Mick winces at his words and at his expression. "Okay...officially as her brother, that was meant to be metaphorical, Stark. I don't need those kind of mental images."

"You're the one who brought it up," he snaps back, though with far less anger. His temper is finally starting to fade.

When they reached a spotty patch of shade, Tony finally stops and opened the bottle of water, drinking half of it in one go before he remembers his manners and offers it to his companion.

Mick waves the offer off. "You drink it, man, as I said before, I come by this weather naturally. I'm a native. You're not."

Tony rolls his eyes at that, but finishes what's in the bottle. "At least you didn't tell me I look like I'm about to drop dead this time, should I consider that an improvement?"

Mick snorts, looks him up and down. "I'll tell you that in another half an hour when it's time to get out of this heat."

Tony bares his teeth. "I don't need a babysitter."

"Probably not," Mick agrees. "But Ginny said that if she has to be babysat by Jarvis, then you get one too. Then she said something about how Jarvis doesn't do her much good if he's not with you that I didn't understand, but you get the idea."

"Jarvis is my AI," Tony replies absently. "She's staying back at the house?"

"You've got an AI at your beach house? As in you brought it with you. That doesn't strike you as a tad ...I don't know, technologically co-dependant? Yes, Pepper was there when I left, and I promised her dire punishment if she isn't there when we get back in a few hours. I've still got photos of her as a teenager she knows I'm not afraid to use." Mick looks him up and down and shakes his head. "You know this is weird...I've never _had_ a fucking older brother before. Not that the title really fits, seeing as how I'm taller, heavier and a whole lot better looking. You on the other hand, look like one of the skinny little geeks in high school everybody liked to wedgie."

_This_ at least is something familiar, even if it is being said in a voice that's at least an octave too low. Tony grins a little at the man standing next to him. "You're rambling, Michael. When Pepper does it, she's uncomfortable. Do I intimidate you?"

Mick just stops and stares at him. "Well...you are pretty hot," he admits after a moment. "But it seems pretty slutty to poach you off of my sister…"

It takes Tony a frighteningly long moment to realize the man is only kidding.

"You must drive Pepper crazy." Tony shakes his head. Well, at least he's figured out why his antics never seemed to bother Pepper too much.

Mick looks almost offended. "I'll have you know she's every bit as sarcastic at me, when she lets herself go."

As if Tony didn't have firsthand knowledge of that. "I'm sure." He closes his eyes. "So...you going to be okay with me marrying your sister?"

Mick snickers. "If you can convince her to? I'll fucking give her away." Sharp eyes meet Tony's a moment. "I hope you realize it won't be that easy though. You look like shit...and you have a long road ahead of you. I'm not even sure you're prepared to cope with the amount of self rationalized, self protective crap she's likely going to throw your way."

Tony smirks. He actually smirks. That's how he knows it's probably safe to head back to the house. "I don't think I'll have nearly as much trouble as you think." He has more optimism than Mick does.

"Yeah well, just remember she's more fragile that she looks. And sex is good, but dangerous in the third trimester. So that option's out." Mick's words are half warning and half apology. They get his point across either way.

"I've loved her this long without sex. I can wait a few more months." He wouldn't be happy about it, but if it was to keep her healthy, he could wait. "Is she supposed to be following some kind of diet?"

"She already is. Why do you think when I came, I brought her an apple caramel chewy coffee cake?"

Tony turns and raises an eyebrow at his new found tormentor with a smile. "What do you do for a living anyway? Because that damn cake's name was just too easy for you to say."

"Officially? I'm a chef at one of the local bakeries. I make a strudel that grown men would kill for. Less officially..." He leans in closer. "Let's just say there's a family tendency to occasionally do a stint for the CIA."

Tony's eyes narrow. He's distracted from the 'take care of Pepper' mode he'd been about to fall into. This is an opportunity he hadn't expected. "A family thing huh? How long has Pepper been working for the CIA?"

"Since she was sixteen. My dad used to drag us in on summer break when we were still in high school. She got bored once while unattended and reorganized the director's entire office after leaving him a note to the essence of 'you've got the attention span of a Moravian gerbil.'" Mick shakes his head. "They gave her an internship down in the file room at the end of that same day."

"She ever think about quitting?" Tony asks. So far this was lining up with the information he had, not with her story of quitting before coming to work for him.

"Think about? No. Forced into it was more likely. She didn't get along with one of her superiors. This was back in '96. I have to say though, I was a little relieved... She would have been forced into doing undercover, and unlike me, she just gives to much of a shit about everything to have not eaten herself alive trying to live that way."

"She was drummed out?" Tony asks in shock. Out of everything he could have imagined, that was not what he'd expected to hear. "What idiot made that decision? And who would force her into the field? Women can't lie without rambling." Of course, the only woman he was really thinking of was Pepper.

"As I said, it was an asshole superior. I can't say that any of us miss him...though we went to a pretty decent wake in his honor. _She_ would have forced herself into the field, Tony, because at that point they would have needed her. She's good as hell at rationalizing herself into self destructive corners. Oh – and I wouldn't share that tidbit about women with my partner, Stark. Her response would probably be to fry your balls and eat them for her dinner."

Tony shook that off. It looked like he owed Pepper at least one apology. "Speaking of balls and dinner, while coffeecake sounds tempting, I'm sure it doesn't fill her nutritional requirements. Let's find a cab. I need to hit a grocery store."

"I suggest another option entirely. Come back to our place. There's at least two more bedrooms, and the fridge is already full of the shit I regularly force her to eat."

"Yeah, but then I'd have to live in the same house as you, and I think I'm a little too old for a chaperone."

Mick wrinkles his nose. "You're living in a pit man. I mean yes it's a tourist dump that's typical to the beach...but still, major disgusting. I'm going to kind of have to insist. She wanders when she gets agitated and she shouldn't be walking that neighborhood alone."

"No problem. I've also got a suite in my name at the Hilton."

Mick whistles. "Just tell me I can stop by occasionally to use the pool."

"Whatever floats your boat. Can we go now?"

"No problem. But follow me. I know a damn quicker short cut."

Tony rolls his eyes. It looks like the Potts had at least one more personality trait in common: they were both likeable, yes, but also annoyingly bossy.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** zomg, yay! New chapter. ;) I see no point in saying much else. It's hot, and you all know how much 4persephone and I love you all.

* * *

Pepper's worried, and in physical pain because of it. Her throat's so tight she can barely force sips of water down it, much less anything more substantial. Her hands have been trembling for the last half hour and no matter how often she tries, she can't drag her eyes completely off of the building's front door..

She understands that she overloaded Tony Stark with a massive amount of information, and she knows that six months of silence has just compounded that weight and turned it into a veritable wrecking ball of honesty.

She understands his reaction to the information and the reason that he stormed out, even if she also thinks it indicates she's destroyed her only hope of seeing things mended between them.

That isn't her problem right now. It isn't why she's worried. What does have her worried is that Tony's been gone for nearly three hours now, and it's the hottest part of the day. What haunts her are the bags he's already got under his eyes – like he hadn't slept for days. There was a pale tint to his lips before he left the house that made her worry and wonder whether or not he was getting enough oxygen.

The fact that Jarvis is concerned as well just makes her concerns seem all the more justified.

She'd _thought_ that Mick would have enough sense to drag Tony's ass home before he strained himself beyond his limits. Well, that or after giving him a few minutes to calm himself down, out there in the stifling heat. Now she wasn't sure if Mick just wants the bragging rights to hauling the unconscious bastard home or if he falls within Tony Stark's ability to manipulate any Potts, like they have some kind of weird genetic anomaly.

Of course, Mick doesn't answer his cell phone when she calls it and she can hear Tony's ringing in the bedroom when she tries that one. She's on the phone with Happy, ordering the other man home when the front door to the beach house creaks open. Mick's standing there, Tony half leaning against him – clearly more than half supported by her brother, who's looking pretty stressed himself.

Pepper's heart drops alarmingly before rebounding and jumping into her throat where it starts pounding at double speed.

"Happy, find that doctor that Tony's been avoiding and get him here _now_. Do you understand me? _NOW_." Then she hangs up and she's on Tony's other side, helping Mick to get him to the couch.

"Water," she snaps at her brother as she turns the A/C down a full five degrees.

"No need for a doctor. I made a call to my friend from the local pub. He doesn't usually take house calls, but for Iron Man I'm thinking he'll make an exception." Mick waves off any help she might have offered moving Tony to a bedroom, opting for the couch right under the window. "I'm sorry...I would have called to let you know what was happening, but I realized about the time he started puking that my cell phone is still in my car."

The blond man eases Tony onto the couch, slapping his cheeks a little lightly. "Man, you so owe me a new pair of boots. Why didn't you tell me your stomach isn't handling solid food? I would have stopped trying to force feed you."

Tony sighs a little, apparently conscious enough to speak if not conscious enough to move. "It only happens that way about half of the time. I _tried_ to stick with water but someone insisted on ordering those damn pineapple slushies." He opens his eyes and literally whines at her brother, "Can you please get out of my fucking face for ten minutes? I mean you're worse than a date...at least they listen when I decide it's time for them to leave."

Pepper ignores all of this, even though it's pretty much her worst fear come to life. '_God_, they _like_ each other.' Which meant sooner or later they were going to end up as _friends_. She's not prepared for the idea, or the trouble such a relationship is inevitably going to cause her. Instead of letting herself dwell on the subject though, she concentrates on making Tony comfortable. She brings two pillows from the bedroom and stuffs them behind him whether he wants them or not. She strips him out of his t-shirt – ignoring Mick's gasp of shock at the sight of the arc reactor embedded in Tony's chest.

Then she plants herself at Tony's side with a basin of water and a kitchen towel and starts wiping him down.

She assumes she doesn't have to tell Mick to forget about his idiotic bartender-friend-alternative-to-a-doctor plan.

She doesn't meet Tony's eyes. Not when she's this angry. There's too much fear, frustration, and concern curdling in her gut. So she washes him down with hands that tremble and a set of tightly pursed lips, and she tries to decide what the hell she's going to do now.

Tony's obviously incapable of taking care of himself. She used to joke about it but it's no longer funny. It's an inconvenient time for him to lapse back to infancy.

Mick meanwhile is gaping. "You have…what in hell is that you have in your chest, Man?"

Tony cracks one eyelid and smirks. "What? You disapprove or something? Why? You looked like the type who'd be into piercing to me."

Mick frowns, leans forward and sniffs him suspiciously. "Pepper, get me your glucose kit. Now. Man, for a guy you're smelling suspiciously sweet."

'He thinks Tony's in ketosis,' Pepper realizes, though even that isn't enough to make her leave Tony's side right now. "It's in my car." She runs her cloth over his face again, more gentle than she has been up to now.

"Is it unlocked?" Mick pushes himself up from where he kneeled down till he's back up on his feet. "Wait...never mind. I can pick it if I have to."

Her brother turns, then, and hurries from the room. He's moving at too fast a pace for her to believe he's only minorly worried. Tony meanwhile, grimaces up at her in a half assed sort of way. He raises a hand to his forehead. "For the record Pepper: time to call a doctor. 'Cause I pretty much feel like shit."

"I already told Happy to find that cardiologist you've been avoiding. Damnit, Stark! You're too old to actually _need _a babysitter!"

He manages to look a little hurt, which is actually ridiculous. He's the one who put himself in this situation, so he should get no sympathy. "In case you didn't notice, Pepper, I was a pretty damn pissed, which according to my shrink and my doctor is something that might actually kill me." His eyes narrow. "Thanks so much for sic'ing the queen of the damned on me, by the way. You might have warned me that the bastard would try and hit on me just for shits and for giggles when you told me he was your brother."

"Yes, well, if you'd been reasonable, I doubt he would have resorted to that. You know what's reasonable in this heat? Fifteen minutes. Maybe a half an hour. Not almost three _hours,_ Tony."

He sighs, deeply. Sort of melts into the coolness of the towel she presses into his face.

"I was really, really pissed, Pepper. And you're kind of occupying my only other place of retreat. I had to take a walk and cool down. I couldn't..." His Adam's apple bobs and she can see the guilt on his face. "I scared you, physically, and I could see it. Under the circumstances, I couldn't very well come back until I knew I had it tamped down enough not to blow up again."

There it is again, that almost razor edged honesty he kept throwing at her in unswallowable amounts. And like she's been doing, she ignores the important part of what he just said and focuses on the mundane details.

"Tony, I'm pretty sure you've got heat stroke. That's about the _last_ thing you need. Next time tell me to get my ass out the door. I'm perfectly capable of calling a taxi."

He shakes his head, and clenches his jaw. "I don't know where you _live_, Pepper. How in hell was I supposed to have found you after I came back, if I'd done that? Because there is no way in hell I'm giving you another opening to pop-smoke on me." He grimaces and closes his eyes. "Once was more than enough."

"Fine," she snarls, because while her first instinct is to take care of him, her second one is to run like hell before she can hurt him more, which she is obviously doing. That urge to retreat is screaming at her right now, and it's also making her shaky. "Then _you're_ perfectly capable of calling a goddamned taxi!"

"Whoa..." Mick's standing in the doorway, Pepper's kit in his hand. "You are in serious shit, man, if she's started swearing."

Mick walks over and puts a hand on his sister's shoulder. "Breathe, Ginny, and take a load off. Or you're going to be the one with the coronary and I can barely handle him at the moment." He sets the open glucose kit on the end table, points a finger at Tony. "And as for you, Stark, I told you to go easy on her. If this is your version, you're a serious need of some smacking around." He reaches out and grabs Tony's wrist a little too roughly. "You need your sugars checked, now give me your hand."

"Knock it off, Mick. Stop being such an asshole." She takes the device from him and pulls Tony's hand into her lap with far more tenderness than her tone indicates. For a moment she massages his index finger as if to ensure there's actually blood flowing, and then she presses the button. He doesn't much react, which disturbs her. Of course, as far as invasive procedures go, he's faced much worse.

Then she pricks his finger, wets the strip and feeds the data into the handheld machine.

She lets Mick get all commanding when he pulls the results out of her hand. She would walk out of the room now and let him deal with all of this if she thought her legs wouldn't fold up on her after a few steps. Mick takes in the whole thing with a disgusted shake of his head. "Do you have any idea how fucking messed up your dynamic is? You're tearing holes into each other, and yet I talk bad to either of you and you're both threatening to murder me. Tony our address is 871 Savannah Lane, and I will give you my cell phone number, before you two leave for Malibu. I guarantee with my contacts, she can't possibly find a place on the planet she deep enough to hide from the whole damn agency."

The glucometer beeps and he frowns at the result. "Shit man, 47? Why are you even conscious enough to be giving us this kind of crap?"

"Tony excels at giving crap," Pepper replies before Tony can. She stands up, ignoring the way the room blacks out for a moment. It's nothing new. She's just getting hungry. "There was a can of Sprite in the fridge. You," she says, pointing at Tony, "are going to drink it. Understood?" It's the best she can come up with on short notice to get some sugar into his bloodstream.

She makes it as far as the nearest chair before her knees go all loose. She curses, and ignores it. Maybe it's time for a slice of Mick's cake, even if she doesn't particularly feel like eating.

Tony protests. "I just threw up a whole god-damn slushy. Forgive me if I don't think that's going to be a good idea."

Mick actually slaps him upside the head as she leaves the room. "I didn't realize you hadn't eaten _anything_ in at least twelve hours, you _dumb ass_. A high sugar, totally non-nutritional cup of processed frozen sugar was _not_ the way to force your stomach back into the game."

Pepper comes back with a clear glass of liquid which she's stirring, a sleeve of Ritz, and bowl. It's obvious she's pretty serious about getting something in him. "You're going to make me drink flat pop?" Tony whines, as he reluctantly starts to nibble on a cracker.

Her eyes narrow at him. "Don't push me, Stark. Until you start showing some sense, I'm going to do it for you." And she meant it.

She didn't know how he'd ended up such a moronic imbecile, but they would be talking about it later.

Mick shakes his head. "You're looking for miracles, Ginny. Until he eats something and gets some sleep there are going to be some house pets out there with more sense than he has right now." Mick scowls. "You had a heart attack sometime Stark, and now you're treating your body like crap. Are you trying to kill yourself or is this just a case of outright idiocy?"

Tony catches Pepper's eye, and she hisses at him. He raises his hands in object surrender. "Just keep in mind I'm not the only one you should be asking that question, Michael. I didn't get here alone. I did the best that I could. Now if you're done insulting my mind, my personality and my manhood, I'm going ignore you and pass out."

Mick nods at that, rolling his eyes as he does so. "Good, then I can bitch at Ginny without distraction." This time her brother doesn't take no for an answer when he grabs Pepper's hand and tests her with the glucometer before she can protest. "Yeah, I saw that wobble," he informs her as she snatches her hand back the moment he lets her. "Loverboy over here probably can't see more than a few feet away, but _I've_ been keeping an eye on you for months."

"I'm fine, Mick." She tries to growl but it comes out like a squeak. He smiles tightly and waves the glucometer in front of her face.

"If by fine, you mean better than Stark, you are absolutely correct. If you mean healthy, you're deluded. When's the last time you ate?"

The fact that Tony says nothing from the couch is proof quite positive that he's finally actually gone to sleep.

Pepper glances down at his unconscious figure, then meets her brother's eyes. "I've been too sick with worry to eat." Her tone is much less combative now that Tony's actually asleep. "I'll get something in a minute. I want to call Happy and see where he is. He'll know when the doctor can get here."

"Ginny, I told you it's already covered. Phillip from the pub should be here in another few minutes. He'll look at Tony."

"I don't want 'Phillip from the pub', I want the cardiologist who already knows about the glowing blue disc in Tony's chest." She pokes Mick directly in the chest to drive her point home.

"For God's sake Pepper, stop being an idiot. Phillip _is_ a cardiologist, not to mention a trauma surgeon with the US Marines." Mick sighs and points her back to a chair. "You need to start listening, Ginny. If this is your typical pattern, it's no big surprise you're practically killing yourselves trying not to kill each other."

He sighs and run a hand back through his hair. "Admittedly, I have no clue in hell what Phillip will make of that...whatever in the hell it is that's sticking out of his sternum. Still," he shakes his head, "you thought Phillip was a _bartender_? God, Ginny, _I know you are in love with him, but start using your __brain_."

The words burn like acid, and she feels the tears well in her eyes. "Stop _lecturing_ me, Michael! I know what I'm talking about! Mick, the fewer people who know about that thing, the better off he is, trust me. It's not just a body modification; it's what's keeping him _alive_."

"Ms Potts, Happy has not been able to reach Tony's doctor in Savannah yet, and the town's almost 45 minutes away. If Mr – I'm sorry I have not been formally introduced, but I believe they call you 'Michael' – knows a person who is closer it is advisable we use them. Especially if he's military and Mick has said he's a Marine."

Despite everything, Pepper almost _laughs_ at the way Mick jumps and spins around, looking for whoever had spoken. "Jarvis, this is Michael Potts, my brother. Feel free to call him Mick. Mick, this Jarvis."

"Freaking _hell_! You guys are seriously creepy. Though thanks for the support, I guess...now are we all now agreed on letting him see Phillip?"

From the couch a very tired voice speaks. "The patient agrees at least. I already have a clearance code that will work in putting a gag on just about anyone who works in the military. And if I need help with that, Jarvis can put a call in to Rhodey."

That settles it, though Pepper still isn't happy. But if Tony's willing to contact someone he's been mad at for months over this, then she's willing to give in. She leaves her seat and walks around Mick before regaining her seat on the couch at Tony's hip. "You're sure?" she asks. He hasn't opened his eyes, but his right hand finds her knee. She holds it there when he would have pulled it away. "Eat something, too, Pepper." His voice is soft, but authoritarian. She wonders how he can pull off that tone so well when he can't even walk.

His eyes crack open and he looks at her though, and she knows...knows absolutely that if she does anything but nod he will become very, _very _"unhappy."

"Jarvis, I want you to pull up every relevant file on Tony's health that you have. Be prepared to brief the doctor when he gets here." Her shoulders slump and she meets Tony's eyes. "Can I eat in here where I can at least listen in, or am I being banished to the bedroom until he's left?"

"If you keep your head down...this Phillip doesn't know they're looking for you. He can't be held accountable if he doesn't know he's supposed to turn you in."

Tony squeezes her hand. "I want you to stay..."

The hunger in his eyes leaves a knot in her stomach. He's not talking about this visit with the doctor anymore, so she redirects him. "You need to drink some more of your Sprite," she orders him softly, and to her amazement, he actually complies.

Mick looks from him to her, a little confused now. "Okay, why the heck do I get the feeling there was an entire conversation I don't know about in the last two sentences spoken? What do you mean 'bring her in?'"

Pepper sighs. "Whoever was in charge of fashioning a background for me after I left the CIA only made a half-assed attempt, apparently. People started digging while I was away and Tony handled a lot of contracts for the military." She knows that Mick can put the pieces together. "They think I might have breached national security."

He turns to Tony. "Just how paranoid are you? I mean she resigns and you start checking her background? Sounds a little obsessive to me."

"Tony didn't set this in motion. And I didn't resign," Pepper sighs. "I left. I told you I left. Nobody really knew how to find me."

"Left in this case being a one sentence note and two months of no contact," Tony speaks up quietly from the couch. "If I'm obsessive for being afraid she'd been _taken_, well then you can draw and quarter me."

Mick turns on his sister, and now he's angry, like he's ready to strangle her himself. Like he can't believe what he's hearing. "You said you were on _leave_, Ginny. You sat there on our living room couch when you came here and you _told me_."

Her eyes drop to the floor, and then rise up to her brother's. "Yes, well, I hadn't decided whether or not I was going to _keep_ the baby at that point. Once I made the decision, I did resign."

Mick makes an aborted move like he's going to reach out and shake her. Then he drops his hands and turns his head.

"You have no idea, Virginia, how badly I want to strangle you right now."

Pepper ignores this. It doesn't matter what Mick thinks. Hesitantly she meets the eyes of the man whose opinion _does_ matter. He looks...disappointed. "You would have just come back like nothing had happened?" he asks her in a voice that tears at her heart.

"For awhile. I would have tried to," but they both know she's lying. She wouldn't have been the same person any longer, and she suspects he would have seen straight through any attempt at deception. It was one of the main reasons she'd just bent to her fate in the end. "Just long enough to train my replacement."

Inside her the baby kicks, and she put her hand on her belly. It's a silent apology to the most vulnerable victim to come out of this mess. "I...I just didn't know, Tony. I had to sort my way through it. By the time I let myself think abortion, there was a heartbeat and a sonogram to check my progress. I just couldn't go through it."

"Damn right, you couldn't," Mick growls in her general direction. "Whether you like to admit it or not you're _Catholic_. And you actually care about this shit."

Her brother had always hated when she went against her own basic belief system. He'd always claimed it was her version of rampant self destruction.

"This really isn't your concern, Mick."

It goes unsaid that it _is_ Tony's.

* * *

It's dark when the screen door slams shut behind Pepper. She's been after Mick to do something about it since she moved in, but he hasn't, and probably deliberately. She suspects he likes having an extra way to keep track of her movements. It's also the price she's paying for not agreeing to go with Tony to the Hilton this evening.

He wanted her to of course, and if she was honest it was mutual. But she can't escape the thought that in one sense or another they'd needed a little distance between them. The last twelve hours have been absolutely devastating for both of them. Though probably in different matters.

His health is in shambles and she's exhausted beyond description emotionally.

The air is heavy, almost as pregnant as she is, but the clouds coming in off the coast are sparking with flickers of lightning. They're in for a storm tonight, and Pepper intends to watch it. Thunderstorms – _real_ thunderstorms, not the occasional weak bang!crashes that the West Coast gets – are one of the few things she's missed about living in Georgia it's the storms…and the lightning bugs.

It's late, she realizes as she takes a seat on the porch swing. Past ten o'clock. She ought to be in bed – something Mick reminded her of just moments ago – but she's got too much to think about. And Mick…well, he's still too pissed off at her to do much more than remind her of all the things she ought to be doing.

It's funny. That's almost exactly how she used to treat Tony…

Tony had been asleep when she and Mick left his house. Happy was going to be taking him back to the hotel as soon as he woke up. In fact, he'd slept most of the afternoon away. Mick's buddy Phil had taken one look at Tony and said he didn't care what the hell was wrong with his heart. Tony's problem was exhaustion, dehydration, malnutrition, and a nearly debilitating case of stupidity…and not necessarily in that order.

Pepper had been amused to actually hear a doctor actually say the words, "Take two aspirin for the headache and call me in the morning." Then he'd hung an IV.

Tony had bitched and she'd informed him he had two seconds to stop bitching or she was going to…

Well she hadn't specified. It wouldn't have been pretty.

Of course, she hadn't been nearly as amused when Mick had then turned Phil loose on her. _She_ apparently wasn't eating _or_ resting enough. He'd told her to "go take a nap with your boyfriend. You'll both be better off for it." She doesn't even want to think about the awkward silence _that_ comment had caused. Instead she closes her eyes and inhales deeply, relishing the sharp tang of ozone in the air. The air is cooler than it's been for several days now, though not cool enough to make her regret wearing nothing but her pajamas out. Her cotton shorts and tank top do absolutely nothing to protect her from the elements, but since she doesn't plan to go dance in the rain or anything, that's not really a problem….

She just wants to sit, and be at peace, and feel her baby.

A light sweeps across her closed eyes, and she sighs. Yes, Tony would have to come along and prove her wrong about her choices in wardrobe. Well, that's too bad for him. She's comfortable and she isn't going to get up to change. To hell with her swollen ankles and her too big for the tank-top belly.

"Who's that?" Mick's voice comes out through the screen door. He's standing squinting at the car as it arrives.

"My baby daddy," Pepper says with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

Mick chuckles lightly at that, and taps his fingers on the wiring. "I _knew_ it! Whoa…nice wheels. Think I could get him to let me drive?"

"I was joking," Pepper hisses at him as she looks over the sporty little coup parked in front of the house. It's definitely Tony. "Don't tell him I said that."

There must be something in her voice that alerts Mick to trouble. "You told him, didn't you?" he asks. There's no telling what he thinks or feels about the fact Tony knows who the father actually is.

Michael has tolerated her secrets up till now, but knowing he's been replaced as her primary confessor might well invoke an actual pity-party.

"Mick…he's really the only one who has a _right_ to know. Though I haven't completely ruled out telling you yet, eventually. I'm hoping twenty years and a few thousand miles between us might keep you from overreacting if I finally give you a name."

When Mick speaks up again, there's a hint of amusement in his voice. Apparently he's willing to forgive her eventually. "Just remember – no sex."

"Gee, Dad, thanks for the reminder." Pepper just looks down at her belly. 'Sex. Right.' She's the size of a whale and feels about one eighth as pretty. Still, she's glad it's dark out since she doesn't want him seeing any of this. "Just don't wait up for me."

Tony's finally getting out of his car. She'd wondered if he was going to, or if he was just doing a drive by to verify the address Mick gave him. "Let me guess: you forgot how to sleep," she calls as he shuts his door. There's a sense of finality to the movement.

"You laugh," he replies, but he doesn't sound like he's joking. Pepper watches him climb the steps and cross the porch. He stands in front of her, watching her, and finally she can't take it anymore. She's scared of what he might see. After today she knows he has absolutely no reason to care for her, trust her, respect her, or even _like_ her.

But here he is.

She pats the seat of the swing, inviting him to join her and he takes the invitation. He's still staring, but now it's easier to avoid his gaze. She watches the lighting moving closer and pretends to ignore his eyes.

They don't speak, but the silence isn't necessarily awkward. It actually feels more…expectant. Like somehow the storm is a reflection of their lives. A smile flashes across Pepper's face almost too quickly to be caught. She knows that it's more likely that they're reacting to the storm.

The first growl of thunder reaches them when Tony reaches over and palms the back of her neck. "Com'on, Pep." He manages to shift them both without dumping them out of the swing. They're laying along the bench now, Tony against the arm, Pepper resting a little awkwardly against his chest. She's glad she keeps pillows out here because it's probably the only thing saving his back. Still, when she shifts, trying to make herself comfortable, he makes her lean up so he can put one behind her back.

Pepper leans back again and settles with one hand at her side and the other on her belly. She can feel his chest move up and down behind her. He's got one leg braced against the opposite arm and one foot on the ground. Slowly he begins to rock. The gentle rhythm of it helps her relax, and she draws in a deep breath. It's scented with ozone, moisture, and something she eventually recognizes as Tony. It wasn't familiar at first because there was no metallic undertone to it.

One of his arms lays along the back of the swing. Eventually the other one comes up so that his hand is laying over the one she's got on her stomach. It rests there, and she waits.

Lightning flashes, thunder growls….

"Pepper…"

'One one thousand. Two one thousand. Three one thousand…' She waits for the rest of whatever drove him from his own house.

"I'm done, Pepper."

Though she's been preparing for something like this, it still hurts more than she'd imagined.

"Oh." Her voice is high pitched because she can barely force the word past frozen vocal cords. She clears her throat and tries again. "Oh." And why shouldn't he be? For all of her complaining in the past, Tony at least had some example of how a couple who loved each other worked. His parents had at least demonstrated proper loving behavior.

She was the one with no clue about anything. Tony had one night stands because he didn't want more. She had one night stands because she didn't know how to do anything else.

His forehead is resting against her shoulder, and he's laughing – _laughing_ – against her ear, a little ironically. When she shivers at the sensation he moves so that his chin is resting on his shoulder. "You just missed everything I said, didn't you?"

"You're done." Saying the words doesn't hurt any less than hearing them. "I suppose I can't blame you, and I appreciate that you came to tell me. It's more than I probably deserve –"

He turns her head and softly presses his lips to hers.

Rain starts to fall. She can hear it hissing against the grass. Tony's lips are perfectly still; his kiss is warmth and pressure and…and patience. Pepper draws a ragged breath, breaking the kiss. For a moment his nose brushes against her cheek and then he pulls her back against him and rests his check on the crown of her head.

"You _weren't_ listening. I don't like this role reversal, Potts. You are supposed to be the focused, detail-oriented, patient one. I'm the one who's supposed to pay attention only when I feel like it."

She doesn't know what to say to that, except, "I'm confused. If you're done, why did you just kiss me?"

His hand tightens atop hers, and the one on the swing drops. He brings both hands together until he's essentially cradling her belly. "Because I meant it. I'm done listening to you blame yourself for all of this. I'm done getting angry at you because you come at _everything_ like it's the only option for response I have. Do you want to hear me say that you screwed up? Well you did. Drastically and spectacularly. And yes, after those first few weeks it started to feel as if the only thing you'd left behind was a knife in my gut and the numbness was just starting to wear off. It did. It was _hell_, Pepper." His voice is rough with emotion now, and he stops. Just _stops_.

And then he sets them both free.

"It was hell because the only thing I could focus on was my worry for _you_. And today was hell because now I can see that at least half of my worries were justified, another quarter are probably justified, and I'd lay even bets that there's at least another third that I never even thought to worry about that I'll get to in the future." He leans forward and kisses the side of her temple. "That's the _reason_ I'm done. However badly you hurt me, you've done worse damage to yourself."

Pepper's muscles ache with the force it takes not to run. It doesn't matter that she wouldn't get far because, frankly, she _can't_ run in her state. The need to hide is still overwhelming. So she turns to words that have always hidden her before. "I'm f-"

"If you _dare_ tell me you're fine, I'm going to go inside, wake up your brother, and give him Delaney's home address." There's dark satisfaction in Tony's voice. "Don't think I won't. Don't lie to _yourself_, and _do not_ lie to me."

She's never considered that Tony has never been tricked by her words, just convinced it was alright to turn a blind eye.

"I'm not in as bad shape a as you." He hasn't said she can't imply that she was fine by comparison.

"You heard your brother's army buddy –"

"Marines." He shakes his head.

"The only reason I'm so sick is because I'm a goddamned idiot." 'Who didn't want to live without you.'

She can't help but laugh, even if it is a weak laugh. "After that stunt of yours this afternoon, I'm inclined to believe him."

Still, it can't be as easy as all that. He can't just decide that he's not going to get mad at her anymore, and if she acts as if he should it's because, well…he _should_. Why else would she be stuck in such an awful purgatory?

"Tony –"

"No!" he growls in his ear as his arms tighten, his free leg lifting to enfold her. "No. I am tabling this discussion, Pepper. I'm not saying I won't slip, that I won't have my moments. That this isn't going to be the hardest fucking thing I will ever do. Or that you and I will ever do for that matter. But I lived for six months without you. I lived six months without knowing if you were alive, or dead, or even the woman you'd always seemed to be. It upset _everything_, Pepper. _I had nothing._ I am _not_ going to _voluntarily_ go back to that hell. Do you understand? I am through with being without you.

"I _quit_," he says, and he waits for an answer.

Lightning flashes, and thunder rolls through the air, but Pepper is absolutely still inside. Tony's passionate defense of his decision has left her paralyzed. She doesn't understand. No, she does understand. She does, because the thought of him flying back to Malibu at the end of the week is enough to bring her to her knees in every meaning of the word.

She gasps, realizes that she hadn't been breathing, and draws down another deep breath.

His hand ghosts up to press against her sternum. "Breathe, Pepper. Breathe. None of this passing out business." Her chest makes his hand rise again. "Good…that's it. I really appreciate this because honestly, I get a little freaked out when you lose control."

She breathes deeply again and her muscles start to get all weak and shaky. "The Pepper I know hardly ever loses control. Sure, there are extreme circumstances, like her boss admitting on live television that he likes to dress up in a metal suit…" He laughs as she groans softly. "However, I'm beginning to suspect that I was stupid to assume Pepper and Virginia were the exact same person."

He kisses her temple again. "It doesn't matter though. Because I'm taking them _both_."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note**: I think we all know by now that I've got nuthin'. :)

* * *

She hears him. She doesn't react outwardly, but she hears him and something inside of her both calms and tenses. She's too tired to fight, too stunned to even recognize what direction the threat is coming from or if the threat is even directed towards her. But Tony makes no more demands of her, makes no advances except for the occasional gentle kiss he presses to her temple as they sit and watch the storm. It's overhead now; even if she knew what to say he wouldn't be able to hear her. Of course, the opposite is also true – she can't hear if he makes any other life-changing declarations.

She doesn't know if she prefers things that way or not.

The wind gusts, tossing the branches of trees and making the long grass in the yard roll like the waves. A little bit of the rain reaches them, but it's warm and Pepper has no inclination to move. She'd been smart and used the restroom before settling in for the show. She doesn't know how long they sit there before the storm moves on, leaving behind only rain and wind. She doesn't know how long they would have continued sitting there if Tony hadn't sighed and sat up behind her, forcing her to sit up too.

"Com'on," he murmurs after pressing one last kiss to her temple. "You should have been in bed hours ago."

She lets him help her up because she physically needs it, and she knows he emotionally needs it, and because she can't fight the both of them right now. She doesn't protest the arm around her back or the hand on her waist because his touch soothes a raging need inside of her and she can't stand to go back to the way they'd always been, shoulder to shoulder but never connecting.

When he comes inside with her, she stops and looks at him in confusion. He's right – they should have gone to bed earlier. Her mind is sluggish and not responding well.

Still, she can't resist the urge to tease him just a little. "I don't need to be tucked in," she tells him softly, with an almost smile on her lips.

"Yes well, Pepper, maybe I do." He glances around the kitchen with glazed over eyes, before looking back into hers again. "Do you need to eat or can we just find a bed to collapse into now? Because I'm going to be unconscious in another ten minutes, and I don't think I can prevent it."

'We?' She remembers his response when she'd teased him about forgetting how to sleep. If he needs to be near her to sleep, she can handle that. "My bedroom is upstairs," she tells him, moving slowly in that direction. He follows her up the stairs without another word, stepping inside the south-facing room immediately after she opens the door for them.

"I changed the sheets in the guest bedroom!" comes the faint call from further down the hallway.

"Great. Thanks Mick. That's lovely for you," is Tony's reply.

"Good _night_, Mick!" Pepper actually evidences some energy as she yells at her brother and shuts the door firmly behind them. Pepper doesn't look at Tony. She's trying to decide whether or not she ought to lock the door. On the one hand, it might actually keep her brother out, should he decide to act like a human being in the morning. On the other hand, she wasn't sure how Tony would interpret the action.

She decides to leave well enough alone and let the fact that the door was closed speak for itself. Of course, one that decision was made, she had to look at her bed. It wasn't big. Just a full, more than enough room for her alone since she never moved much in the night anyway. But with Tony...

She looks at him, unaware of the pensive look in her eyes.

He studies the room, taking in the barely covered walls. The furniture is sparse – just a bookshelf and a desk in the corner by the larger picture window. The bed is small...it will be hard to fit two people. "I'll take the floor if you can spare a pillow and blanket."

He doesn't want the floor, but he's in here uninvited, and she's guessing that he figures that she's entitled to enough space to stretch out in her own bed. 'Besides' he acknowledges a little wryly, 'It may be better to spare the temptation.'

He can control his hands while awake but he's less confidant he can control them after he's actually fallen asleep

"You're not sleeping on the floor," she disagrees. "If you don't want to share the bed, there's one next door."

He sighs. Confesses his need with a silent resignation. "I need to be close. I won't sleep well if you're not within arm's reach. I'm sorry."

It's a very vulnerable thing to admit but he doesn't even try to deny it, and the candor once again makes her wobble a little on her metaphorical feet. The scary thing is, she doesn't find his admission at all confining. He isn't trapping her by admitting he needs to be near her. If anything, she's relieved that there's something simple she can do to help him. He's not demanding too much from her.

"The bed in the guest room is a queen," she tells him, allowing him to make the final decision, though she knows what it'll be.

"Let's move this in there?" It's a request not an order. He's starting to fade a little, his eyes are growing steadily more hazy.

"Okay." She's the one who takes his hand and leads him out of one bedroom into another. She doesn't like to make the obvious comparison that the guest room has more personality than her own. But then, she's really only been marking time here, so it's not really surprising.

She hasn't let herself think about the longer term. Hasn't done anything in months but take one day at a time.

He falls into bed and is asleep almost before his head hits the pillow. Sleep doesn't come as quickly to her, though she's probably no less tired. She lies down beside him in the dark, but doesn't close her eyes. There's just enough light coming in the window for her to make out his face.

She loves him. The way her heart and body aches at the sight of him tells her that. And she's so tired of pretending that she doesn't. Not that she's doing a particularly good job – Mick knows. She imagines other people know. After this afternoon Happy probably knows, and might even be thanking his lucky stars. Because how can she leave him if she loves him?

The answer is simple: she did once and it didn't work. She can't. They will have to try Tony's solution now. She's going to have to try and be "done" too.

And the first thing she's going to be done with is keeping her secret.

"I love you," she whispers as she wraps her fingers around his wrist. The pulse beats reassuringly under her fingers. "I love you." And tomorrow she plans be done with being a coward. She's going to tell him so.

* * *

It's still raining when she wakes up at 5:30 the next morning. She's a little surprised Tony's still asleep. Advanced pregnancy had left her a restless sleeper, but he'd remained unconscious every time she got up and came back to bed. This time she rolls out of bed for good. She closes the curtains before she goes to take her shower. She leaves the water tepid; it's cloudy and rainy out, but probably at least in the eighties already. It won't have cooled off much overnight.

She listens to the sounds in the rest of the house before leaving the bathroom. Everything's quiet, though she can hear stirring in Mick's room. She hurries to her own before he can appear.

Mick tends to me a nauseatingly awake morning person and she's just not ready for his particular brand of wide awake yet.

For the first time in months Pepper takes time getting dressed. She evaluates her wardrobe and discounts items until she decides on one of the maternity shirts that Mick had insisted she buy. He'd been disgusted by her simple, unadorned, mostly neutral wardrobe when he'd insisted on the bright yellow top. She pulls it on today, a little dismayed by the depth of the scoop neck…but then hiding her cleavage really isn't an option at this point anyway, not any more than she can hide her rounded belly.

She pulls on a pair of khaki capris and carefully braids her hair before pinning it back in a bun. She knows Tony prefers it down, but she doesn't want to have to deal with the heat and humidity.

Using the mirror in her room she applies the lightest coat of concealer under her eyes as she can to camouflage the blue tint to the skin there, and she dabs on just enough lip gloss to give her lips a sheen. There are butterflies in her stomach when she steps out of her bedroom and goes to check on Tony.

He's still asleep. She smiles and goes downstairs. Mick's making coffee and heating water for tea while he mixes pancake batter. He glances at her, looks away, and she tries not to be offended when his head snaps back.

"_You_ look nice." He says it like it's an accusation. She rolls her eyes at the words.

"Good morning." She sits at the table and pulls the paper towards her while Mick sets a plate of fruit down on the table.

"So...did you two sleep well last night, or was it just a six hour grope fest?" His voice is...odd. She's having a hard time determining whether he's angry or just being abnormally snarky.

"Mick...I am seven months pregnant." She says this like it should obviously rule out a "grope fest." "It's just..." She stalls. "You were right." She picks up a cut slice of kiwi.

"Right about what?" His voice is carefully neutral, but he's looking at her with an expression she's not sure what to make of.

"The dark colors wash me out," she says as she glances down at the paper. She carefully starts separating the sections until the Business section is staring her in the face. God, she hasn't read about anything in the business world since she'd left Malibu. "And I love him. Figured it's easier just to stop fighting it."

It's the first time she says the words out loud – well, out loud to another person who was actually awake to hear them. The ceiling doesn't collapse like she half expected it to.

Mick's face slides into a strange almost smile. "Yeah. Well I'm glad to know you finally sorted out that much at least."

Then her brother pats her on the shoulder and turns back to the stove. He turns on one burner and starts pouring batter in the pan. "So...what's your plan for the rest of the day then? You finally going back into town to stay in the downtown while he's in the city?"

The pancakes start to plump as he speaks, and he flips them over with a slick of his wrist.

He looks almost sad, Pepper realizes after a moment. "Mick...what's wrong?" She asks the question a little carefully.

He turns and gives her a smile that's a little unnaturally wide. "Nothing. Why would you even ask me that?"

Pepper's not slow. She figures out what's wrong once she thinks about it. She crooks her finger at him and waits until he comes over. Then she slips her hand into his and squeezes. "If you hadn't held me together all these months..." She shakes her head when he opens his mouth to cut her off. "No. I'm serious. I don't know where I'd be if you hadn't been around to keep me sane. Seeing as how that's the case, I'm pretty sure Tony won't mind if I love you too. After all, you're my brother, and you do have the prior claim by at least a decade."

He nods, blushing. "It's just...it's been really, really nice to have you around. I'm going to miss you when you go, because this place is awfully empty without you."

"I take it mandatory leave is getting on your nerves?" Her brother has never liked idleness anymore than she does. He's as much of a workaholic as she is, which is why, she suspects, their cupboards are currently always almost overflowing with new offerings of baked goods.

He laughs. "I guess you could say that. Though for the record I'm not on mandatory leave anymore, Pepper. I'm waiting on the paperwork for early retirement." His voice is matter of fact, but his eyes are cloudy and just a little bit bitter.

"Retirement? You're 32." Pepper frowns at him. "Who did you piss off?"

Mick sighs, "No one, Pepper. Well no one who matters anyway. I just...can't do it anymore."

Pepper doesn't press. There's something in his voice that makes her think she ought to know exactly what he's talking about. After everything he's done for her, she wants to do something for him. But she has no clue what. There is a story here, one that she'll have to get to the bottom of eventually.

In the meantime, one thing she can do is easy. "So Mick? Can we stay here? Because I hate living in hotels. They don't have a kitchen."

Her brother snorts aloud. "Can you get Stark to agree to it? Because he didn't seem all that eager to have a live in chaperone when I offered the option yesterday." Then he shrugs. "I'd have no objection to you staying here, and you know it. In case you forgot, your name is on the damn deed every bit as much as mine is."

"Don't remind me." Pepper snaps open the business section and starts reading. She doesn't want any reminders of her parents or the past behind this house. "Oh, and Mick, I've got that appointment today, if you still want to maybe tag along."

"What appointment?" Tony's standing at the bottom of the stairs. He's got an uncontrollable example of bed head and he's bare chested, providing the usual view. She had noticed in the middle of the night that he'd stripped it off at some point, but she'd also kinda expected him to put it back on before coming downstairs.

Not that she has a problem with it, but Mick is frankly staring. She smacks her brother in the chest when she sees him lick his lips. "Quit your drooling. He's taken and you know it. Don't be such a letch. Your pancakes are burning."

Mick laughs, then flips them over anyway. "Hell Pepper, I'm technically taken, but I'm still bisexual. And he's flashing his hotness."

"You're _taken_?!" She raises an eyebrow, "I've been here five and a half months and you've been living like the proverbial monk. When exactly did _that _happen?"

"Umm...I'm not touching that hotness comment," Tony says as he takes a seat at the table and snags the front page. "What appointment, Pepper?" He asks the question another time. There's something in his voice that makes Pepper stop tormenting Mick and turn to look at Tony. He's not meeting her eyes.

"My weekly check-up with my obestrician," she says, puzzled by his behavior.

Tony nods, looks at Mick. "What's the second name on the deed? For this house I mean."

"Anthony Stark," Pepper says, just a little amazed that he'd try to get around her so blatantly. "I'm in the room still. Please try and remember that."

He nods. "Yes, you are. But we have an arrangement: Mick talks to me because I let him stare at my chest without filing a sexual harassment suit, and it gets me useful information in return."

He looks over at Mick who raises an eyebrow. "Oh, and _I_ can consent to staying here on one condition...Mr. Personality here has to promise that he will never ever, _ever_ come into our bedroom."

"Okay, that's just wrong," Mick says as he starts dishing up pancakes. "I honestly do _not_ want to know about anything you and Ginny might get up to. She's my sister remember?" He flips the burned pancake off the plate and into the garbage, "Besides, you're not really my type. Just because I don't turn down the eye candy doesn't mean I don't have some standards..."

"Andrews," Pepper says, squashing the discussion flat. "The name on the deed is Andrews, but you'll forgive me if I don't like using it."

She looks at her brother. "And 'taken,' Michael? We are not done discussing that, you realize. Not even close."

Under his breath she hears her brother murmur the words, "Like hell we aren't."

Behind her Tony chokes back a laugh and she turns to shoot him a warning glance. He doesn't look particularly quelled. "I've changed my mind, we're going to the Hilton," she says as she sits down. "I don't want the two of you living under the same roof."

Mick tries to look innocent. "Aw, come on, Ginny. We're bonding. It's better than us being at each other's throats. You have to admit that at least."

"Only vaguely," she snaps back. "You two are _not ever_ going out drinking together. And that's my final word on the subject. Now eat your breakfast."

She starts eating what Mick puts in front of her and picks up the business section again. The front page is covered by the usual news of rumored mergers and companies who are either helping or hurting the environment. The second page is concerned almost entirely with oil futures. On the third page there's a headline that catches her eye. "Stark Industries' Stock Dips After Unproductive Quarter," she reads out loud.

Tony walks over to the counter, pours him self a cup of coffee. "It's only ten points, they'll recover by the next quarter," he says with a shrug as he sits back down at the table.

Still he seems almost bored by the conversation, which actually alarms her a little.

" 'They'?" she asks. She pushes her plate away, then frowns when Mick pushes it back. She takes the hint and takes a bite of pancake rather of laying into Tony. Instead she watches him turn a page on the section he's been reading.

"Research and development. They're having some issues with their latest project. Specs are taking longer than they thought to produce, and simulations are producing unusual results that are causing delays." She pauses as she lifts a bite of food to her mouth and stares at him in astonishment. He might as well be discussing the society page, for all the interest in his voice at present.

Tony Stark is talking about engineering and mechanics, and he sounds not obsessive but completely monotone.

She has never known him to talk about science that way. Ever. In the ten years she'd known him. A strange sort of sick feeling starts to fill up her gut. "Am I allowed to ask what's holding them up?" she asks carefully, uncertain where she's allowed to tread and where she isn't. This indifferent Tony isn't one she knows; she doesn't know how he'll react to her pushing.

"Math stuff I think. They haven't been able to find their ways around a few laws of physics." Tony takes a sip of his coffee, turns the page yet again.

'Math stuff? What the hell?' "And you haven't been able to help them?" She keeps her tone even and her voice very modulated. Or rather she does until he shrugs and folds the paper up to lay it back down beside him.

"They haven't asked. All I've done these last few months is basic maintenance on the suit."

"Oh." Her response is quiet, but something in her head is screaming. "Mick? Did they give you one of those super cool untraceable spy phones? I need to make a phone call."

Her brother raises an eyebrow. "There's one in the lockbox up stairs, I think. The combination's what it has always been."

"Okay." Pepper gets up and leaves the room. She can hear Tony climbing the stairs behind her, but she ignores him. She's too upset by hearing him talk about the one thing she was certain he loved as if it didn't matter to wait for him.

This random disconnectedness of his was starting to be more than she knew how to handle.

"Who are you calling?" he asks conversationally, as she goes to unlock the safe box in the house's master bedroom. She opens the cabinet and starts entering the numerical combination.

"Rhodey. And then I'm calling the office and having the info from R&D sent over by whatever means are necessary. Because you need to have a look at them."

He looks alarmed. "Rhodey's honor-bound to turn you in, Pepper. I told you, I need a few more weeks to straighten thing out with the DoD before we can tell him you're back." He frowns again, "Oh…and if you really want the stuff from R&D, talk to Jarvis. He probably keeps regular backups of the department's main server."

"Fine. I'll call Jarvis after talking to Rhodey." She just sighs as he takes the phone from her hands. "It's untraceable, Tony."

"If you call him and tell him you're with me, it isn't, Pepper. The man is like a god-damn barnacle. He _always_ knows where I am lately." Pepper closes her eyes and takes a moment to acknowledge the truth in that statement. She knows she can get this mess cleared up, but probably not by the time the colonel could call the closest base and have people sent over to apprehend her. And she'd really prefer not to end up in jail, even for a few hours.

"Fine," she says again. "Fine. But we need to get to work on resolving this."

He reaches out and covers her hand. "Then we will. Let me make a call to Fury, Pepper. He can help with how we're going to bring you back. If you've got people who will actually vouch for you and your whereabouts the past few months we can probably spin this and have the people at SHIELD orchestrate a story that you've been away on business for them. I mean yes, it's a little odd that somebody would try and make it look like you were working for the CIA, but they are smart, they'll come up with something that most people will believe. Your cover can remain intact with the CIA, Pepper. No need to blow that advantage if you can avoid it with a little creativity."

"I'm _not_ working for the CIA," she mumbles, not really following him beyond that point.

"I'm not saying you 'did,' Potts. But we have to tell people something. Because your background check was too spotty for them to buy that there's nothing there worth asking questions about. Maybe we can pass it off as you were once a kid in witness protection or something who came back into the real world after the people who were hunting your family were apprehended."

"Why can't we tell them the truth?" she asks, a little dazed by the plans Tony was trying to construct. Telling them she'd been stupid and then impregnated seemed much simpler than trying to construct yet another history for her. "In case you haven't noticed, back stories inherently have flaws. We should just tell them the truth, I got pregnant and took some time to clear my head."

Tony seems to consider the options a moment, because he shrugs. "You can, but Pepper, no one is going to believe that's all there is too it. They won't understand why you didn't just resign through normal channels. Not to mention if it turns out that you left without there being some kind of apparent threat to your life, I'm not sure that I'm going to be able to keep the members of the board from wanting to sue you for breach of contract."

She just _looks_ at him. She doesn't say anything. Doesn't need to. Her eyes say everything. "Yes... Why _don't_ we talk about why your company is apparently grinding to a standstill? And how you're apparently helpless to stop it?"

He raises his hand to his eyebrow. "It's not my company anymore, Pepper. I've been on legally mandated medical leave ever since the heart attack. They got a temporary injunction that means I don't even go to the board meetings. They leave me alone and I try and return the favor. At the beginning they said it was because I needed to put my attention on getting my health back. Now they're all afraid stocks would dip if anyone knew how close I came to dying a few months ago." He shrugs. "I work in my shop and I sign the critical stuff they send me, but there's not even much of that at present."

"Fine. You don't go to board meetings. What does that have to do with the fact that you're 'only doing minimal maintenance on the suit'? Tony! You _love_ engineering!"

He shrugs. "I used to, yes. Lately though, there has just been no interest."

She turns to stare. Opens her mouth to speak. Doesn't get a chance though, because there's suddenly movement behind her. Mick has suddenly stepped up to Tony's other side and with a totally unexpected action, he whacks upside the head. "Yes well, I'm not surprised. It's called post-traumatic _depression,_ , you might want to look it up dipshit, after you go back downstairs to _eat something_. Because there are pancakes down there with your name on them, and believe me you need them."

Tony blinks at him, a little startled. Raises an eyebrow, and rubs his forehead. "You think I'm depressed?" he asks, his voice filled with a vague sort of curiosity.

Mick starts ticking things out on his fingers. "Trouble sleeping. Lack of appetite, loss of interest in work. General apathy except for random outbursts of anger that lapse back into lethargy. You're a poster child for it and if your regular physician hasn't said anything to you about it by now, then he's a stupid idiot."

Pepper just stares at Mick. Opens her mouth and closes it. "Where did you _come_ from?" she asks when she finally finds the ability to form clear words again."

Her brother shrugs. "Well, you two _are_ having an intimate discussion in my bedroom. I figured that gave me a right to interject my professional opinion."

Pepper looks at Tony but gets no support there. "He's your brother." He's still looking at Mick like the man's got to heads. "I am not depressed. I've just been a little disconnected lately."

Mick raises an eyebrow, Tony glares back. Pepper just rubs the back of her neck and the tension that's starting to build up there. "It had to be raining. It just had to be raining," she mutters under her breath. She looks longingly towards the window, as if debating whether or not the rain is actually enough to keep her inside.

"Pepper, it's all right," Tony interjects in a tone that she supposes is meant to be soothing.

"No, it's not. Look at yourself, Tony. Where in the heck _are_ you in there? Because in case you missed it, you are _not acting normally_!"

The words come out in a rush, and seem to startle all three of them. Pepper looks a little shocked, and put a hand to her mouth. It was true, though. The only time Tony acted normally any more was if he thought she was going to leave him, and that terrified her. "If you can stop loving your machines and your math, then where does that leave me? Because all of that is part of who you _are_. I'm just part of your life."

Beside her Mick steps back into the action. "Ginny it's the _depression_. He's not doing this to piss you off. It has nothing to do with you. And by the way...you two _so_ need to be in couples therapy right now."

Her head snaps up, and so does Tony's. They both look at Mick for a moment, but he doesn't back down. Pepper tries not to cringe or blush, but manages both in the space of a clock's tick. "Mick, I love you, but I really need you to butt out." She no longer cares that it's raining. She has an umbrella, and she needs to take a walk.

She stops by her room and slips into a pair of sneakers. Tony hasn't followed her, and she's not sure where he went. She's hurt and relieved at the same time.

She goes down the stairs after a quick stop by the bathroom, and stops short when she finds Tony waiting for her by the front door. She can't read him anymore, has no idea what his intentions are.

"Pepper…" He tries to speak, but she raises a hand and does her best to prevent it.

"You're breaking my heart," she pleads with him softly. "I don't...I don't know the solid ground from the sand anymore, Tony. Every shock makes them tremble the same."

Tony nods at the words. He looks tired and haggard. Then he nods at the door. "It's not fair that you keep doing this, Pepper."

"Not fair I keep doing _what_?" she snaps back, digging in the hallway closet in hopes of finding the umbrella she remembers being there just the week before last.

"This." He gestures. "Total retreat. You run every time I fail to meet your expectations. Every time you get embarrassed. I don't...I just..." He shakes his head a little and looks at her with eyes that are clear at the same time they're angry. "Life has been a fog for months, Pepper. I'm doing the best that I can."

"Tony, did you _want_ to give me a massage?" She realizes that makes no sense out of context, but can't take the words back.

He looks at her in what can only be called sheer confusion

She sighs again, then draws in a deep breath.

"Tony, I walk because it _relaxes_ me. And between you and my brother, I may end up going crazy. Or spraining something from the tension. So unless you're offering a massage, the retreat is a kind of coping mechanism." She closes her eyes, and lets some of her tight control slip. Her aches subside a little, but she starts trembling. Then she sucks it up and forces her body to still again. "Please, Tony, I don't care what you choose, but I need _something in terms of stress relief_. And I don't know what the boundaries are anymore. I know you don't want them to be there, but they are. I don't know how far I can push anymore, I don't know how much concern I can show, I don't know..."

She told him last night. Can it really be so much harder now? "I don't know how to tell you I love you, or show you that I love you, without it being misinterpreted as something else."

He sighs a little, but his body relaxes. "How about you take a breath and give us both a chance to get our shit together. Is that really too much to ask for a start?"

It's harsh to hear the words, though Tony isn't trying to be cruel when he says them. She can see the regret in his eyes that she's hurting, and that he's apparently responsible for the greater part of it. But there's also a certain disconnect at work still. One she's not sure she saw before now.

The man before her is there, but he's not there completely. It's like part of him is subsumed beneath...she doesn't know what. Layers of one kind of crap or another.

Pepper walks over to the house phone and writes something down on a slip of paper. Then she picks up the umbrella she finally found and walks towards him. "This is my cell phone number," she tells him quietly as she nudges him out of the way of the door. "I'm going for a walk. I expect to be gone for an hour at the most. You can call me if you need me, but for now why don't you get cleaned up and call Happy for a change of clothes?" She sees the first traces of panic in his eyes. "I'm coming back, I _promise_. Please trust me."

He looks at the paper and then at her, and she can see the conflict in his eyes. But then he nods, a little sharply, and motions in the direction of the door.

"I'll talk to Jarvis...see if I can't get him to get the stuff you wanted from the office here by the time you get home."

"Forget what I wanted from the office," she says wryly. This isn't the time to pressure him into doing something he doesn't want to do. She has a sick feeling he'd try just because she asked him to. And that might actually make things worse if he really was depressed. "Tell him to get me all the reports from the last six months that you've been ignoring so I have some idea of what I'm getting myself into. You know how I hate being unprepared."

"It's only the last three," Tony informs her after a moment. "Like I said, I worked pretty much as normal until up to the heart attack. After that between the exhaustion and the pain and the drugs..." He shrugs. "My brain didn't really want to work for me. Still doesn't some days."

"Fine." She doesn't argue because it won't win her anything. "Then please ask Jarvis for the last six month's worth of reports so that I understand what the ones from the last three months are saying." She kisses his cheek then says, "You need to shave." And she quietly slips out the door.

Tony watches her leave, stands there a moment, then takes the slip of paper and puts it into his pocket.

If his hands shake a little as she walks away, he refuses to acknowledge it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th! I know that on the 3rd, someone down the street from me was setting off fireworks, and then it got quiet, and about ten minutes later a ambulance went by. Don't know if they were connected or not.

Enjoy this chapter, and of course drop us a line. ;)

* * *

When Pepper returns, the clouds are finally starting to dissipate. The air is warming, and the sun is starting to show through the cracks in the sky. She's feeling better...more intact. Less like the world is starting to fracture whenever she looks at it too closely.

Her brother is sitting on the front steps, holding a glass of lemonade. When he sees her he stands and walks over to greet her at the end of the sidewalk, where he hands her the drink.

"Feeling better?" He inquires quietly. "You seemed a little strung out when you left."

"Yeah, well I was struggling with coming to terms to being a single mother of one, much less with the idea of dealing with two dependant people," she says. There's humor in the comment, but it drains away as she takes her first sip, and he winces as the guilt floods in. "Which is more than just partly my fault. If I hadn't left, he wouldn't be like this, Mick. I know it. He would have been pissed off and hurt and we still might not have worked our way back to the speaking to each other point by this time, but he wouldn't be like this. And it hurts me and pisses me off all at the very same time."

And it does. More than she is really capable of expressing. It is one of the reasons she stayed out so long, trying to come to grips with it. She isn't sure why the work issues in particular seemed to drive it all home. Maybe it's because that was the one thing in their relationship that had always worked before, and she's shocked to see it so changed.

Tony Stark has always been many things, but they've all been hinged on his unique kind of genius. To see him so apathetic is startling because it highlights just how bad things have really gotten. It hurts to think it, but she knows that like it or not, he's not just tired or sick or depressed. On some level he's _broken._

"He doesn't have to stay like he is, Ginny," Mick reassures her. His voice is quiet and yet no less intense as he states his opinion. "It's not that he's a victim of an untreatable disease. Self neglect can be corrected, and depression when accepted for what it is can be treated. As for it being your fault," Mick shrugs his shoulders. "You need to stop giving yourself so much credit. He had a _heart attack_, big sister." He stresses the words like she doesn't get the implication, but then again maybe she doesn't. She needs to do some research on the subject before she tries to go much further because knowledge will be the means by which they'll either sink of swim.

Mick however, isn't done. He's pressing on relentlessly. "I mean seriously…a heart attack at his age with no history of past cardiac block or surgery? Those types of events don't come out of nowhere. Do you want to know the statistics for that kind of thing? He fucked himself over pretty bad for it to have gotten to that point. And then there's the depression issue, which is common, which has just compounded the problem."

"No statistics," she says, shaking her head. "I'm in for a stack of them as tall as I am once I walk in that door as it is." She doesn't sound nearly as daunted as she should be, she decides. But then, this is normal. This is what she's always loved doing. Taking his work life and putting it back together will be familiar, and it will be something he's in need of that she can provide almost effortlessly.

What Mick is talking about though, will be ten times more complicated. "Beating yourself up won't fix the problem, Ginny. But expecting him to just pretend nothing has changed is even more damaging than that. You're going to have to accept you're both in a place where you've got to start almost completely from scratch. Everything is in pieces, so sweep out the debris and built it up solid from the foundations this time."

She takes all this in, with both annoyance and amusement. "You act as if I don't already know all this. Why are you even giving me this lecture?"

Mick shrugs a little. "Because you got mad at him this morning, and he doesn't understand _why_. You're acting like it's unforgivable that his shit is screwed up. That he's not acting 'normal'. This _is_ the new normal for him for now, though Pepper, and it will continue to be so until he starts to recover. It's just the way that it is."

Pepper's finally distracted from the thought of the work waiting for her. "You sound like you're trying to warn me about something," she says after a moment. "Whatever you're dancing around, Michael, go ahead and spit it out."

Mick shrugs a little. "I'm just telling you the random emotion based attacks on his attitude toward life have to stop. I saw you inside earlier. Saw the way you reacted when he showed no interest in work. I realize you were kind of reeling...but Ginny, you can't _do_ that, can't get mad if he's numb because he's this depressed, and he's not getting treatment. It's not fair and more importantly it's counterproductive. It's going to turn you into a person he thinks he can't trust with his own rising and falling feelings." Mick sighs. "And yes, I know it's none of my business…but somebody has to speak in his defense, and since I know you love him enough to defend him against anyone else that might be a problem, I might as well step in and point out a couple of home truths to you."

She blinks at him. "Don't get angry?" She wants to laugh and cry all at once, because he's right, and yet he's being utterly ridiculous. "Mick, I'm kinda pregnant. In case you hadn't noticed, my emotions are all over the map. Were last week too, before any of this started. I'm doing the best I can."

"Yes, well at least now it's said, and you can try and monitor your behavior. Though don't think I haven't also choked on the irony. I mean honestly, Ginny, you have too many emotions and he's got none at all." Mick take a deep breath, like he's hesitant to say anymore, but then he clenches his jaw and says it anyway. "He's like you were when I first met you, Ginny. He needs sanctuary. Somewhere to just sort his messed up life out."

The words are such a physical blow that Pepper actually gasps. She remembers that summer – it'd be hard to forget it. It was pretty much the closest she'd ever come to hell, including this recent mess with Tony. Coming here had been like moving to another planet, one that looked a hell of a lot nicer, but that only seemed fraught with more complicated dangers. She hadn't liked the sudden removal of responsibility because it'd left her feeling too light, like she could float away at any moment.

In a way, that summer, she'd been adrift. She would have preferred to be back in the dingy house she'd grown up in, parent or no parent, than be stuck in this other new world. Having a parent around wasn't that much different from not, in her experience. The idea that Tony's the same…so fractured he's almost afraid to be healed is almost more than she can stand.

Her first instinct at this unseen attack is to defend herself. She refrains from asking if in this scenario she's the crackwhore who'd left behind her nine year old because she'd gotten run over in the middle of the street, but somehow that seems petty. "_**Don't**_." It's too late of course, because all those emotions come churning up whether she wants them to or not. Mick looks almost crushed, but he's forcing himself to continue.

"I'm not saying you're like your mom, Ginny. You're _not_. But you're both basically back to the exact same place you were when you first came here. Most, if not all, of the life you've been living the last six months has been nothing but pain and misery for both of you. You have to accept why and how you both got broken though, and start dealing with all the wreckage. Because if you don't, both of you will just keep cutting yourselves on the emotional rubble, and right now you don't have the blood left in you to spare."

He's right. She knows he's right. Pepper reins herself in for no other reason than Mick doesn't deserve to have her to go pieces on him. However... the reference to the past is something she can't disconnect herself from completely. There's a reason she doesn't bring up Josephine Andrews. Not ever. Not even here.

"I hated her, Mick." Pepper says it with venom because it's true. It's true, and she hasn't been able to change it in nearly thirty years, even though the pain should have faded some by now. "I hated her for being selfish, for being so self-absorbed. I hated that I could hear her at night. I know you didn't mean to imply that I'm like her, but it still hurts too much to even _think_ about her. To think about my life that first summer. Because you are right; it was hell, and there are days I don't know how I survived it.

"So please...don't bring it up again. Because it's not important. Not to my life anymore."

Pepper takes another sip of the lemonade to steady herself. There's nothing she wants so much now as the comfort of the reports that Tony hopefully has waiting for her.

Mick groans as he studies her, then he starts reclimbing the stairs.. "Whatever you say, big sister. Go on and stuff it all back down." He runs an aggravated hand through his hair. "But let me be honest...it's the most important thing in your life."

Mick sighs heavily again. "She's dead, Ginny, dead and gone. You carry her everywhere, and I'm tired of seeing it. Because there are other people who love you, and we are sick to shit of watching you torture yourself. Your mother is only still a nightmare because you won't deal with the things that she did to you. You could be free of her if you would trust us long enough to let go and let us catch you when you fall."

His heart is in the right place; it's the only reason she doesn't snap at him and tell him to stay the hell out of her business. "Speaking of tortured people, I should probably go check on Tony," Pepper says, effectively ending the conversation. It feels like all her nerve endings have been rubbed raw and then sandblasted. "I need to eat something and I bet I'm not the only one."

Pepper opens the door to the house just barely wide enough for her to slip through, as if she's afraid that everything that Mick's words stirred up might follow her inside. As if they weren't inside of her, ready for instant replay at a moment's notice. Because she had done the same thing to Tony that her mother had done to her; she'd abandoned him because she didn't want to face the consequences of her actions.

Except, Pepper had never really been hurt by her mother's abandonment, just her neglect. Tony on the other hand had actually trusted her at that point. Her abandonment of him would have been much harder to bear.

'As if I didn't have enough reasons to despise myself already.' No. She closes the door and rests her head against it. No. They were done. Despite his actions today, Pepper had to believe that Tony had meant what he'd said last night. It was either that or go crazy with doubt like she had this morning.

She turns to go find him, then nearly has a heart attack when she finds him standing barely a foot away. He scarcely seems to know she's there.

"Oh my god," she gasps as she tries to hold her heart in place with her hand. _"Tony. _You scared the hell out of me._" _

Tony Stark is leaning on the wall, looking out the window. His face is a mixture of impassiveness and careful emotional restraint as he looks out at the porch. "Feeling better after your walk?" he inquires softly, then bites into the skin of an apple she hadn't realized he was holding.

He looks like he doesn't know what to say to her. Like he's afraid she'll blow up. Like Mick had warned her about, as much as she hates to admit it.

That setback in the kitchen is going to have to be repaired, and even if she doesn't strictly mean to apologize, she does need to find a better way forward that won't leave them both feeling so lost.

"Can I tell you the truth?" she asks, deciding that they have to set some ground rules now. "I mean, not just about the walk, but always. No matter what. I don't want to feel as if I ever have to lie to you. I mean, maybe I won't always want to answer, but I would prefer telling you that I'm not ready to talk about something to saying things are fine when they're not."

It's not at all what he asked her, and it really has nothing to do with anything, but it has to be said. She has to know how they're going to relate to each other. Mick was right about their needing to get their foundation in order before they could hope to build. And Tony needed to know that he could trust her, so this conversation seemed like a good place to start.

Tony seems to consider the question a moment. "I prefer the truth. It can hurt more but it's also not going to change, so you have only one list of things that you have to adapt to.

As for not being ready to talk about something right away…. that that's fair as long as there are also a few ground rules about time limits. You can't put the truth off forever."

She understood that. She could understand the damage of needing to hear something and not. And after the way she behaved those last few days in California, she imagines he has a reason to fear her silences. "Okay," she agrees. Then she says, "I had a nice walk."

He nods. Takes another bite out of the apple. "Glad to hear it. Do you need some more to eat? Or can we talk about why my disinterest in work had you looking like you were going to throttle me?"

He's still a little tense, but he also seems...awkward. He keeps looking at the apple in his hand like he's never seen one before. But he also seems to realize that he's upset her, and he wants to make amends.

She nods, a little awkward herself. She thinks he's trying to take care of her, but she's not certain. "Food first I think...some protein...or something. I usually have a cup of dried fruits and nuts about this time."

"Mick made me boil some eggs for myself. Said it was that or he was going to start force feeding me oatmeal. I can add a few more to cook in the water if you prefer that to the fruit and nut option."

He takes another bite of his apple and looks down at in wonder. "I have to say though...these...whatever the heck they are your brother brought home from the farmers market are unbelievably good. You really should try one."

He sounds like a man who's just discovered his appetite, and she realizes that maybe after months of food apathy, that's _exactly_ what's happening.

Pepper refrains from teasing Tony about his ability to cook or commenting on her new observation. Instead she just says, "Eggs sound good. Though I also suggest Mick's hot sweet rolls." He seems...more stable than she left him, though he still hasn't cleaned up. She doesn't worry about it though, mainly because he's distracted her with the thought of hardboiled eggs... "You should also try the Dijon he bought at the farmer's market last week." She's already planning on having some with her eggs.

If he's interested in food she's going to make an effort to make every meal he pushes through his lips count, because it's the easiest way to start that she can think of.

"So what time is your appointment?" he asks as he checks the timer on the eggs. He's satisfied with the result, because he moves the whole apparatus over to the sink, where he starts to drain of the water. "Oh…and do you still want to go into the city other than for your appointment? I'm assuming you were kidding about wanting to stay at the Hilton, whether Mick and I have 'bonded' in the meantime or not?"

He shudders at the word bonded, and Pepper smiles in spite of herself. "My appointment's at two. It's not a big deal..." She trails off as he turns around and leans against the counter. He doesn't say anything, but he looks pretty damn unbudgeable.

"It's not," she says softly. "It's just that I've been having some health problems throughout the pregnancy, and they're being cautious."

She pushes herself off the counter and heads over to the table with the salt and pepper. "I understand if you didn't want to come –" She cuts herself off this time as he just raises an eyebrow at her.

"Fine, I get it. You're coming." She finds a small cup and fills it with her trail mix. She pulls out one strand of dried coconut and nibbles on it. "And I really don't have anything I need to get done, other than that. Don't tell Mick I said that, though."

"Why?" He asks a little amused. "From what it sounds like your brother would be thrilled to see you sit still and try and do nothing." He smirks before he continues. "Not that I believe you're capable."

She relaxes a little. "He wants me to go shopping." She groans at the idea like she has the last three times.

She's just…she's not ready for that. Though she's not exactly sure why.

"For something in particular?" Tony asks, a little curious. "Or is he just tired of doing all the grocery runs?" His tone is humorous. "Because we could jut have food delivered on my credit card…can you see his face?"

She smiles, but focuses on his question. "Ummm...no..." She hesitates before just saying what she thinks he'll take exception to. "I haven't bought anything for the baby yet. That's what Mick is giving me so much hell for. He keeps acting like I'm going to pop any second even though he knows I've got at least seven more weeks before my delivery day."

He blinks a little. "Are we talking clothes or baby furniture? Because the clothes are kind of a waste of time until we know the gender, which I'm guessing you don't know since you haven't commented on or shared that information yet. As for furniture…well." He exhales, debates something again and speaks with a clear hesitation. "There's an antique set back in LA that's yours if you want it. It's jut a crib and a dresser though, no changing table."

"I haven't bought anything," she repeats, but she's too dismayed by the sweetness of his offer to spend much time dwelling on it. "How antique are we talking?" she asks him. "Somewhere around 37 years, I'm betting?"

"About 120 actually. They're not mine, though I suppose that may also be floating around somewhere. This set is different….I helped my mom pick them out right before I went away to MIT." Pepper's chest gets tight and she fights to breathe normally. It doesn't work. She has to sit down and put her head down on the table. The room still feels as if it's tilted, so she closes her eyes.

"My hormones don't like surprises," she mutters as she hears him move across the room to her. "I'll be fine. Just give me a minute."

He squats down beside her, covers one hand with his. "Hey...I didn't bring it up to upset you. You asked and I didn't think. If you don't want...I mean under the circumstances it does seem kind of thoughtless and morbid. They're beautiful old pieces though, Pepper, and I think my mom and sister would have been happy to see them be put to use."

He shrugs again, looks a little helpless. Clearly regrets having even brought it up.

She twists her hand over and twines her fingers through his almost desperately. "Can I ask...?" She wants to know how far along his mother's pregnancy had been, wanted to know what a young Tony Stark had thought about becoming a big brother. She _didn't_ want to know how much extra pain it'd caused when his parents' car had crashed and taken his family.

"It was a… surprise...they'd never expected to have another. As it was they had three miscarriages before I came along. My mom was about 11 weeks along." His eyes look sad, but not really haunted. The pain is old and familiar apparently, though to her knowledge it is something that had never been publicly acknowledged or spoken of.

"Tony...I..." The right words were nowhere to be found, if they existed at all. So she leans forward the foot necessary and softly kisses him, hoping he'll understand. "Thank you," she whispers as she pulls away. "I would love to see them when there's the chance."

He smiles a little, and she feels her chest expand. "Now what about the other stuff you need? Do we need to go shopping"

"I don't know where to start," she admits. "I've put it off for so long..." Then she shakes her head. "And there's no point now, because we're going back to California, so why buy everything here and then have to pack it all up?"

Tony chuckles softly, but then he raises a brow. She's not sure why, until he choose to speak up again. "Pepper, we don't have to _go_ anywhere. I have a pretty flexible life. We can stay here in Savannah if you like."

"Nuh-uh," she says, meaning it. "Stop thinking that right there. I want to go _home_, Tony. I want to worry about forest fires and not 90 humidity and how bad the tail end of the latest hurricane is going to be. I know we can't just pick up where we left off, but I _miss_ California. I miss sun you can actually spend time in during the day. I even miss the office. Besides, your home's in Malibu."

Besides, Tony needed to get back into his lab. Needed to get back to work. She was absolutely sure of it, even if she would have to be tricky getting him to acknowledge it.

Tony seems less convinced. He still seems strangely caught up by the idea of staying in Savannah. "It's just a house, Pepper. I can build one anywhere. Heck, I might need to anyway...to make more room for all the changes. The mansion is big and spacious yes… but it's also not exactly the kind of place warm enough to raise a family."

It's the closest he's come to discussing their future beyond a few hours, and while Pepper's scared, she knows she can't...that _they_ can't...avoid what he's thinking forever. Still, she can't help being a coward. "Can I ignore that last statement for a little while, or do you want to talk about this now?" Because he just in essence declared himself her child's new father.

And she's not sure that she's ready to deal with that. Not sure he's ready to deal with it either.

Tony shrugs a little. "It can be delayed if you need it too. I'm not trying to freak you out, Pepper, I'm just stating the facts as I see them. I don't have much tying me anywhere these days. Decide where you'll be happiest and I'll build us something we both like wherever that is. Heck..." He shrugs. "It's kind of a fun idea. I may start sketching out some blueprints just to see them. It's been years since I wanted to build myself a house."

And there's a glimmer in his eyes in that moment that makes her want to laugh in relief and cry in ironic protest all at once.

She doesn't tell him it's the part about them becoming an instant family that has her a little freaked out. The spark in his eyes is all the reason she has for deciding to wait. She doesn't want to extinguish it prematurely. After all, she still hasn't made any sort of decision about their future, and she's willing to hear him out on the matter.

"Well, if you're going to abandon me for your work..." she teases instead, "I hope you at least found something for me to do. Did Jarvis have copies of those reports I was asking about?"

He shrugs. "To be honest I started sniping with your brother and never really asked him for them."

"Sounds familiar. You have a bad habit of forgetting about things that are strictly business, Mr. Stark." Pepper realizes as the teasing name leaves her tongue that she hasn't called him that since she left.

He snickers. "Your brother is obsessive. He started threatening to do a body fat analysis on me. Some of the stuff he said earlier...though..." Tony looks uncomfortable. "He's right. You're right. I let things get more fucked over than they should be, I think, back at the company. It's just…it's been so long since I've cared about anything. Your brother thinks I'm clinically depressed, and I hate to say it, but he may just be right."

"Well, if you want I can invite Mick to live with us until he decides you're better. Though if you're shacking up with his sister, that might be a long time in coming." She chooses to approach his admission lightly since the last thing they need is to let the conversation turn so sober that he retreats back into himself to brood again.

Tony smirks. "Mick and I have...an understanding, now. It really shouldn't be a problem." It's the way his eyes skip away from hers that keeps Pepper from questioning what he means. She figures they'll get down to it soon enough, and she really hadn't made any decisions yet.

"I'm going to go get my laptop and link up to Jarvis. You've got me all curious about what's been going on in my admittedly shortsighted absence."

"Probably a lot of the same. Work on the new conversion to arc generator technology, and a couple similar...side projects the suit gave me ideas for in biomechanics. Then there's the suit. I am…well I was working on a prototype for Rhodey."

"Yeah, and I'm sure there's all sorts of financial reports and sales projections and business proposals you didn't bother looking at." Pepper's just about rubbing her hands in glee. "Seriously, Tony. I don't work for the CIA anymore, but this is about the next best thing in my opinion. I mean, my only other choice would have been helping to run a small country and working for you had more opportunities, even if the boss was sometimes hell."

Tony chuckles at the dig and shakes his head. "Your idea of fun is a little disturbing, Pepper, if that's really how you feel. Remind me, when we're both feeling better, to try and convince you to get...well...an actual life. It would greatly expand your horizons."

She frowns at him, uncertain if she should be taking offense or not. "I like seeing how everything relates to each other, Tony. I mean, your business _is_, in effect, a small country. Small population, sure, but with massive domestic gross product, and it certainly makes more in a year than some third world countries. It's fascinating how all the different departments come together to create a functioning whole. It's even more fascinating when foreign offices are taken into account. Are you aware of the intricacy that makes it all work?"

He raises an eyebrow, and then one corner of his mouth. "Do I sound that geeky when I'm working on mechanics?" He waggles his eyebrows, "Because if that's the case, I restate. I need to work on getting both of us a life."

"You sound totally geeky when talking about math," she mutters under her breath. "I just sound intelligent."

He tilts his head contemplatively and continues on as if she hadn't spoken. "...of course, I suppose I consider sex a form of multiplication...so it's found its place in my personal obsession in life. Now to fit it into microeconomics for you…"

He watches then, apparently pleased with himself at the inevitable blush

"I'm getting my laptop now." She braces herself on the table as she stands up. "You still need to shower and shave. I'm not appearing in public with you when you look like this."

"Chicken." He snickers, though there's no cruelty in his teasing. He's staring at the gap in the front of her shirt with obvious interest. "Well, that answers one question at least."

"What question is that?" she asks warily. When she looks at him, he hasn't even bothered to divert his eyes, and she blushes all the way up to her hairline.

His grin deepens. "How far down that blush goes when I manage to catch you off guard." Then he reaches out and trails one finger just barely across one exposed length of collarbone before he winks and heads upstairs into the bathroom.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note**: I wonder if it's wrong for authors to have favorite chapters, like parents aren't supposed to have favorite children. But this one is one of my favorites from this story. I hope everyone out there enjoys it as much as I do.

ND, from the NeonDaisies/4persephone conglomeration.

* * *

Pepper wonders if her life is really hers anymore, or if she's somehow switched lives with someone else without being aware of it. It seems the only logical explanation for why she's sitting in her OB/GYN's waiting room while Tony Stark sits by her side totally absorbed by an year old parenting magazine. Pepper's been coming in for weekly check-ups for three months now, and this is the first time that Mick hasn't been with her.

The receptionist keeps looking over at them with a smile that's part approval, part "isn't he the sweetest thing you've ever seen?" At first Pepper found it bemusing, but now the sensation is drifting into something a little more…well…creepy.

Finally a nurse comes through the office door. "Virginia Potts?" Tony looks up from the magazine, then over at her with a questioning eyebrow. She wonders if he's having second thoughts, but he only stands up and offers her a careful hand out of her seat. That hand strays to the small of her back as he walks a step behind her through the door, and the warmth of his touch burns into the small of her back.

She tries to tell herself not to get obsessed with the sensation as the nurse leads her into back with Tony trailing almost immediately behind.

"No brother today, Ms Potts?" the nurse asks. Pepper sighs, wishing that if she had to stick to a routine, a regular schedule of doctor's appointments didn't make it up.

"No. Mick decided to be tactful and let Tony come. He hasn't seen the ultrasound yet."

She can see the curiosity in the nurse's eyes, but she's not willing to satisfy it beyond that. Explaining Tony to herself is still a little more than she's capable of. All she knows is that for better or worse, she has to have him in her life.

Who he is to her or her baby is something more complicated than Pepper wants to cover in small chat. Thankfully the nurse seems to realize this, because she just nods and reaches out to shake Tony's outstretched hand.

After a quick stop by the scale, the nurse shows them to an exam room and Pepper climbs up onto the exam table while Tony looks around. He spends an inordinate amount of time in front of the medical degrees hanging on the wall. She knows his thoughts without him speaking them. "Tony, stop obsessing. I spent three weeks researching and gaining recommendations for an OB. Dr. Whitman is the best in Savannah. Best in this part of the country in fact."

He gives her a look that says that the best in Savannah, GA isn't good enough for him.

"You've already asked Jarvis to start researching obestricians in the LA area, haven't you?" she asks, a little dismayed, a little touched, and frankly, not really surprised at all.

Tony snorts, "I'll assume that was a rhetorical question." He reaches up to scratch at his chin. He's shaved for her, and his skin is far more pale than she's used to, but he definitely looks better. Even with the hair that's a little too long, he looks more like the confident man she knew, and she's relieved to see it. Of course she's less relieved to see that his all too typical arrogance in also returning in full force.

"Tony, I would really like you to at least pretend I get to pick my own doctor." She says the words with warning and more than a little sarcasm.

His reply is calm and smooth as butter, "Of course you can pick your own doctor. Jarvis has just narrowed your choices to what he feels are the three best options in the state."

He's smirking, probably because he's got her over a barrel and he knows it. She finds some comfort in the fact that some things never change. "I'll make sure to thank Jarvis then." She smiles a little too sweetly at him, earning a smirk back from the man beside her in exchange.

'Yup, he's definitely himself. A royal pain in the butt.' She doesn't even want to know what he's going to say in reply, so she's relieved when the door to the exam room opens and Dr. Whitman comes into the room with his charts already open.

"Pepper, you're glowing." He turns to Tony and holds out his hand. "I must say I approve of whatever it is you're doing," The grey haired man smiles at Tony as they shake hands. "As you can tell from my nametag, I'm Dr. Whitman. And you are...?"

"A friend of the family. Just call me Tony." Out of the corner of his eye he sees Pepper raise her eyebrow, though she chooses to say nothing else in reply.

"Nice to meet you, Tony. Now, Pepper..." The doctor turns his full attention onto his patient. "Let's discuss the results of your labs and the measurements I'm seeing."

'He had to mention labs.' She hadn't needed her blood checked in almost three weeks. From the corner of her eye she saw Tony twitch a little, but he said nothing. The doctor, meanwhile, was smiling happily. "I must say I'm much impressed – there's been _massive_ improvement. Not only is your blood pressure lower than I've seen it in a long time, but you're finely well within a healthy weight range for a woman at your stage, and your chem. 12 is normal. I'd still like to see you gain three pounds between now and your next appointment, but I think we're getting close to the point where I can stop hounding you about your weight."

Whitman pulls off his stethoscope and places it over Pepper's heart. After a few moments of silence, he moves it to her back and has her breathe deeply a few times, before he nods his head. "Good, good," he says as he makes a few notations on his chart. "Not that I expected otherwise. Now, what has your brother been forcing down your throat in the last week?"

His voice is jovial and amused, and Pepper's lips twitch. She likes Dr. Whitman. He's personable, friendly. Most importantly, he knew when to stick to small talk and when to push her. "Mick decided it was time to try his hand at homemade ice cream," she says. "The first few batches were awful until he figured out how to use the artificial sweetener."

"Tell him to keep it up, doctor's orders. Swing your legs up." He braces Pepper's back while she does as instructed. "Anything you want to complain about? Are your tension headaches improving, or are they still the same?"

"About the same," she admits, glancing over at Tony while Whitman checks her ankles for swelling. He's watching, partly amused but all of him intensely following the conversation. "I was having some trouble with my blood sugar yesterday. It was too low, but it's better today."

The doctor nods, then looks at Tony with a ironic smile. "I'd suggest you head up there and keep her company, well if you're anything like her brother, anyway." The doctor winks, "Mick always tends to get a little green when I start this part of the examination."

Yeah, well, it'd never thrilled Pepper either. She keeps her eyes on Tony as the doctor does his thing. "My hands were swollen yesterday," she says, mainly to distract herself, as the doctor drapes a covering sheet over the whole of her legs "But I also overdid it on my walk. Stayed out too long."

The doctor nods, then goes to wash his hands at the sink. She can't help but notice that Tony only looks away from her eyes once...and that they take awhile coming back to her. Far from looking green, he looks somewhere between confused and what he probably considers appropriately frustrated. She can't tell whether that's because he's getting a little possessive because she's got a man examining a very private area or if he wants a better idea of anything that concerns her health. Hell, it might just be curiosity.

Tony had the habit of finding the most bizarre subjects worth his attention, and he'd already shown more than a passing interest in her changing body.

The thought sent a weird sort of shiver up the back of her neck.

Whitman meanwhile, continue his examination, doing the usual check gently, and with a minimum of fuss. "We've talked about that before, Pepper. I'd feel more comfortable if you went a gym when you get restless. A treadmill in an air conditioned room is preferable to your straining yourself in this heat."

Pepper shifts as the exam ends. "I think Tony and Mick probably agree with you," she says dryly.

Tony surprises her then. "Would early morning be all right, if she wants to just get out of the house and walk? Four walls can feel really confining. I'd be willing to drive her to and from the beach if you'd allow it in early morning before the worst of the heat sets in."

The doctor looks at Tony, _really_ looks at Tony. "Yes," he finally says, with something that looks like approval in his eyes. "That would be fine, providing she stays out for no longer than thirty minutes, stays hydrated, and brings a walking partner." To Pepper he says, "You're reaching your 30th week. I don't care if you make Tony here keep a block behind you so you can have space to think, you still keep him with you. I don't want you stressing yourself, but I also don't want you out alone. Do we have an agreement?"

'Why is it that the men in my life - _all_ the men in my life - always have to close ranks when they think I'm being unreasonable?' Pepper doesn't ask that. She doesn't have to, because from the way Tony tries to disguise a snort as a sneeze she can only assume it's written all over her face.

"I understand, all right," she says. "Besides more ice cream and shorter walks, is there anything else you'd like to prescribe?"

"I'll let you know if I think of something. Go ahead and lift up your shirt." Pepper does as she's told as Whitman brings the sonogram machine online. The doctor smiles as he moves the cart over. "So Pepper, are you finally ready to determine a gender this time?"

Pepper shakes her head. "I still don't want to know." Behind her Tony raises an eyebrow.

He steps toward the bed with a little curiosity. She knows him, and half expects him to ask, but Whitman speaks before Tony can open his mouth.

The obstetrician chuckles, "Yes well, you're one of the few people in the world who still wants to honor Mother nature's surprises. Most want to know as soon as they can so they can pick up things for the nursery. Of course people can always go gender neutral, but very few actually want too."

Pepper turns her head to look at Tony. He's watching her out of eyes she doesn't know how to read. She can't tell if he's okay with her decision, upset with it, or merely indifferent. All she can see are the gears turning in the back of his head. He is coming to some kind of conclusion, but she's still not sure what exactly about.

"Do you...?" she murmurs, offering him the choice. If she's made the decision to keep him in her life (which she has) and as something more than her boss (which she can't see a way around) then she supposes that he has a voice in this too.

"Are you genuinely wanting it to be a surprise, or do you just like still having two genders worth of baby names?" His voice is playful as he asks, but there's a gentle caution in the way he asks that tells her though he's curious, he can live without knowing.

"Haven't thought about names yet," she admits, with a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.

Tony only nods at that. He doesn't look surprised.

She abruptly turns back to the doctor. "Maybe next time," she tells Whitman. Her heart's already speeding up at considering that much. She knows it's probably really unhealthy for her to think about her pregnancy as little as possible, to try to keep her baby at arm's length. Yes, she'd decided to give birth, but she's still been entertaining adoption in the back of her head. Not seriously...more like an escape route in case she panicked at the last minute.

But now...she _loved_ Tony. Tony loved her. Tony was willing to become the father of a child who wasn't his and who they both knew _should_ have been his. He was stronger here than she was, and he hadn't thought twice about lending her what strength he had.

It was time for her to buck up. No, that wasn't quite true. It was time for her to start searching through the tangled mass of emotion that usually grew in the pit of her stomach whenever she thought about her impending motherhood.

Then the ultrasound monitor is turned on, and the screen hums to life in front of their eyes. "Remember, you're at seven months...so you're going to be pretty much looking at a normal little person now." Whitman's voice is low and pleasantly soothing. "All the features should be in place...they'll just get bigger in the next eight weeks."

He fiddles with the knobs a little, tests the temperature of the warming gel, then squirts a generous portion across the surface of her belly.

A moment later the wand is on the right side of her belly, and the image on the screen shifts into something small but undeniably human. Tony's at her side and she slips her hand into his. He looks down at her, an expression of surprise on his face before he squeezes tight and looks back at the monitor. Pepper watches him a moment longer and something that had been tight in her chest for so long she couldn't remember when it'd started, loosened.

Her heart settles down, her chest expands and for the first time since she tested positive on a pregnancy kit she actually feels relaxed.

She looks away from Tony and turns her attention to the screen. There in the static is something that actually looked like a baby, albeit a small and curled up one. She can make out body parts without help, though the doctor is pointing out areas of interest. For the first time she doesn't feel fear beating at her at the thought that she's going to be responsible for this itty bitty little life. She brings Tony's hand to her mouth and presses a kiss to his knuckles without ever taking her eyes off the screen.

The child inside of her kicks suddenly, causing the picture to jiggle, and for a moment there's the almost shape of a foot pushing through her abdominal wall.

"Hey you...none of that." The doctor chuckles, as he shifts the wand a little. "Be nice to your Mom. She's had a rough couple of months."

The fetus kicks again and the obstetrician looks up again. "I think you're going to have a hyperactive one on your hands when this munchkin is born."

"Wonder where _that_ comes from," Tony mumbles under his breath, and there's no escaping the bemused sarcasm as he squeezes her hand.

For the first time Pepper finds herself laughing during one of her ultrasounds. "Behave yourself, Stark, or I'm going to make you change all the diapers. I am _not_ hyperactive." She adds a poke with her finger with her other hand for good measure before tearing her eyes away from the screen and smiling up at him.

He's wincing, like she just said something she shouldn't have. "Tony?"

"Yeah, I was hoping to keep the last name under wraps," he murmurs, just barely loud enough for her to hear.

She relaxes again, and starts giggling helplessly. The man wants to marry her - she can only assume that's what all his comments about them building a home together, and his stepping in as her child's father, and his "understanding" with Mick meant – but he is also hoping that he could pull this off without the world noticing?

She really can't help giggling, because it's also so strange and silly.

The doctor grins. "Then I would advise you stop showing up on CNN, Sir. Though I understand why, given your job, you might want to keep this pregnancy under wraps."

He looks at Pepper then, "I think I get it now. Worry for his life certainly can't have been helping your stress levels over the last months, even if he has been laying lower than he used to." He looks at the two of them. "Medical records are confidential. If and when you want to go public with the parenthood thing, you'll have our promise of anonymity to the maximum amount we can provide it. Of course you'll have to go public at some point, but I agree it was wise to keep things quiet until there's less of a risk to Pepper and the baby's security."

Tony stares at Whitman a moment, with clear shock on his face. Pepper tries not to let her face fall as Tony slips his hand out of hers. She briefly considers explaining that the baby isn't biologically Tony's, but decides against it. It's really none of Whitman's business, no matter how kind he's being.

"Thank you," she says instead, leaving it at that.

Tony extends a hand as well, with an expression of respect that Pepper realizes is genuine.

"We'll see you same time next week," he says, with finality. And the doctor nods with crinkled eyes as he shakes back firmly.

"My pleasure, Tony. It's nice to meet you. Pepper, be well and make sure that you wear lots of sunscreen." Then he whisks himself out of the room, with his clipboard in hand. And leaves them to wait, quietly, for the nurse to come in and give them confirmation for the next scheduled checkup.

Pepper keeps her smile on her face until the door shuts, and then she can't keep it up any longer. She slowly wipes the jelly off her belly with the towel Dr. Whitman had given her, too scared to look up at Tony.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I wasn't really thinking." It was just natural to call him by his last name. It'd slipped out without notice. "I'll tell him next week that you're a friend. He won't assume after that.

Tony shakes his head, as if he's shaking his thoughts clear, when he looks at her it's with eyes that are scolding, but not particularly angry. "Pepper, I don't _care_ if he thinks I'm the father. I mean, I'm pretty much claiming the job...and it had to happen eventually." He raises a hand to his forehead. "I hadn't even _considered_ the security ramifications...not to mention the media storm that is going to cause more stress than either of us need." He sighs and runs a hand back through his hair. "It's just...this is going to be more complicated than I realized before now."

"Tony..." She tries to find the right words. "Iron Man or not, anyone close to you is a potential target. And I'm not trying to be mean, but there's a reason you employ bodyguards, and it's not so you can have an 'entourage.' I know that. I've known it since you hired me. It has never bothered me."

"Don't tell me I have to be okay with this, Pepper. Because I'm not going to be. I am never going to like the fact that anyone is in danger because they know me. And this is not just anyone, Pepper this is you, who I _love_, and a helpless little kid."

Something inside Pepper relaxes a little. It's the first time he's told her he loves her using the present tense and it came out of his mouth so naturally that she thinks it hasn't even occurred to him that she might have wondered if he _still_ loved her or not. "I'm not telling you to be okay with it." She pulls her shirt down and hauls herself into a seated position. Her tone isn't quite as defensive as it was before. "Tony, I'm not CIA anymore, but you're right, there's at least one person on your staff who is. You're not in this alone. _We're_ not in this alone. We'll figure it out."

Hell, this might be a good thing she realizes, as she watches his not quite emotionless face. If this was going to teach him the concept of caution, she would be left with no complaints.

She can tell how slow he's processing, and how much his mind's in turmoil, by the fact he misses the CIA reference. "It's just going to take a little time, Pepper. Another thing to add to the lists in my head." He looks up at her then, fastening what may actually be a genuine half smile on his face before he holds out his hand. "So...where are we going for lunch?" He asks the question whimsically.

"Promise me you're not going to make any major decisions without talking to me, and I'll let you take me to the most expensive place you can find. Or Burger King if that's what you prefer." She smiles again only to watch him shake his head.

"Expensive means public. We're trying to stay out of the limelight. Unless you want to end up in the local papers?" His voice is bemused, but a little bit tired, as if for once in his life, he wishes he were simply normal.

She supposes she can't be entirely surprised. His public life is memorable yes, but also a persona, that required a great deal of his energy. And a man who barely has the energy to be himself at present might find the effort of wearing a mask in public more of a drain that he currently has the patience or resources to cope with.

"Burger King is fine, then. I'm still waiting for that promise, Tony. I don't mind being taken care of when I need it, and I'll even admit that my definition of being taken care of will have to change because we _can't_ hide this forever. But we've always worked best when we're working together. Don't leave me out of this. Please."

He smiles a little, tightens his grip on her fingers. "I didn't promise because I thought the request was rhetorical, the answer is obvious. Yes, I'm going to need some time to process, but you've got a stake in this too, and decisions that effect us both have to be made together. As for dinner..." He shrugs a little. "Burger King makes me nauseous...how about something a little lighter?"

She relaxes still more as she realizes he never meant to close her out of anything. Yes, he's worried, but he's not leaving her behind because of it. Maybe he'd been right when he'd told her that she came at everything from the worst possible outcome. "Mick's got fresh vegetables from the farmer's market for salads," she offers by way of apology. "We can swing by your suite and get you more clothes before going home."

He considers this option, and then he nods. "It's either that or the deli in town. They had a really good pastrami sandwich the last time I stopped at the sub shop."

"I'm not handling spicy well, but I assume they've got turkey too." She lets him help her off the table. They're leaving the room when she notices a photograph on the counter.

"Look. Dr. Whitman printed out the sonogram," she says softly, showing it to him but not holding it out far enough that he believes she's trying to offer it to him.

His lips curve a little. "Well then bring it with us."

As he steers her gently toward the door of the office, he grins in her direction. "So what _are_ you thinking for a name?"

* * *

As much as Tony likes Mick, he's glad Pepper insisted they swing by his hotel. Yes, Happy and Larry are hovering in the background, but they're not nearly as intrusive as Pepper's brother, and Tony is glad for the moment of quiet. He's also glad because Pepper is perfectly content to eat her sandwich and doesn't worry about bugging him to eat his. He gets an odd sort of contentment from seeing her eat with a single-minded intensity.

When she's done she lays down on the couch, her head propped up again one arm, her feet braced against his thigh. She flips through the channels until she finds the local news. He rubs her feet absently with one hand while he works on finishing his own meal.

"We can stay here tonight," he offers when she yawns.

"No. That's alright. I'm just full." She rubs her belly and makes a face. "And speaking of full…I'll be right back." She waves off Happy as she manages to lever herself off the couch. "Do you want me to pack for you while I'm up?"

Tony shakes his head. "I'll get it when I'm done. You're supposed to be taking it easy, remember."

"Okay." She smiles and he can't help but smile to himself while he watches her walk away. Pepper Potts is starting to waddle a little. He stacks all the food that's left on a tray and brings it to the door where in can be picked up by the cleaning staff.

Pepper's still in the bathroom when someone starts pounding on the door to the suite. Tony ignores it except to nod to Happy to see who it is. He's got a mouthful of sandwich, when the voice on the other side of the door finally registers in his brain.

"Where is he?" The door flies open out of Happy's grasp the moment he opens it. Tony doesn't need to ask who it is. The distinctly pissed off tones of Colonel James Rhodes are coming through loud and clear. "Dr Phillips called me. That sonofabitch has skipped out on his last doctor's appointment if I have to hogtie him and drag him down to the clinic myself!"

Tony swallows and stands up. He's not happy about this little intrusion. In fact, he can feel himself slipping right into a level of anger to match Rhodes's. His defensiveness isn't surprising. Damnit, he's got _Pepper_ here. "You're not good enough with knots to hogtie me, Rhodey...not to mention there's a little deviant sexual kink in there that kind of wigs me out."

His tone is casual and deliberately indifferent, but he can't keep his knuckles from involuntarily fisting.

The larger man spins on him, pointing a finger. "You! I swear I'm going…Argh!"

"You were expecting someone else?" Tony tilts his head as his lips curl up in a sneer.

Brown eyes darken black and a hand whips out to catch him by the front of the shirt and shake him. Tony winces as his head flies around on his neck. "So what...are you, like _actively_ suicidal? Because give me an excuse to commit your ass, you idiot, give me _one good excuse_!"

Tony looks over at Happy. Yawns even as his feet legs start to tremble from being held on tiptoe so long. "He really needs to work on his bedside manner. Hey, you're my bodyguard...would you kindly deck him?"

"James Andrew Rhodes." An irritated feminine voice joins the conversation. "I will thank you to _just set him down_!"

Tony falls on his ass when Rhodes lets go of him without warning. Pepper glances at him with concern, but then returns to glaring at the colonel. She's got her fists propped on her hips – or where she guesses they are – and her eyes dare him to say anything as he takes an involuntary step in her opposite direction. "You know, it's poor sportsmanship to pick on someone smaller than you," she snaps when he does nothing more than stare with his jaw hanging loose. "Particularly when you're military trained and they can barely keep their face cleaned."

"Low blow, Potts," says Tony in a dry, irritated voice from his position on the floor.

"Pepper Potts?" Rhodes finally speaks. "Where in hell have you been…and how in the hell did you end up pregnant?"

"Well, you see, Rhodey, when a man and a woman like each other very much…" Tony informs him coldly, finally picking himself up and deliberately going to stand with his body positioned between Rhodey and Pepper.

"Tony!" Pepper snaps before he can finish the sentence. "I can take care of myself, stop being an obnoxious ass."

Pepper makes no attempt to step out from behind him, and Tony is grateful because he's in full possessive lockdown mode, but until he knows how this is going to go he can't break free. Even if his instincts are screaming danger. Pepper meanwhile is speaking again. "You don't have to defend me. I was just going to tell him that I couldn't possibly be seven months pregnant because then there'd be no room for the stolen top secret plans that I've got hidden under my shirt."

Rhodey is still gaping at both of them, taking note especially of the sweat that is doting Tony's brow and his defensive posture.

When he finally speaks it is with equal parts exasperation and anger. "You should have told me you knocked her up, Tony. Have you considered it might have made me more inclined to _believe_ you and help you out instead of thinking that you'd gone off the deep end?" He shakes his head. "I mean, shit man, we are friends. A little heads up before you started acting like a complete and utter lunatic would have been really, really nice."

Pepper wraps her hand around Tony's wrist, restraining him just in case. Then – because she still doesn't want to provoke him by moving out from behind him – she pokes her head out from behind his shoulder. "Rhodey, you're still jumping to conclusions." Her knuckles go white around his wrist as she forces herself to continue. "The baby's _mine_, Rhodes. Not Tony's. He didn't even know I was pregnant until two days ago."

"Like hell." Rhodey speaks back in utter conviction. "He's been too insane for there to be any other explanation." He's still studying Tony with clenched lips. "You told me...you gave me your word, man, that you would never do this. Because she was the best thing that ever happened to you, and she was our _friend_…"

Pepper shakes her head, not even wanting to consider that the two men had apparently had a conversation about the proper treatment of PAs by the name of Pepper Potts. "Why would I have run if the baby was Tony's?" she demands instead. "If there'd even been a _chance_ it was his, I would have gone to him immediately, not left without a word. Why would I have run…why would I have put him though it? What kind of a person do you think that I am?"

Rhodey shrugged. "A hunted one, probably. I know you're former CIA, Potts. I finally got back some research that concluded that much at least. Which I _tried_ to tell this idiot nearly nine weeks ago for the record...not that he'd stay in the same room long enough to listen to me..." He shrugs. "I kind of assumed the publicity since idiot boy went on national television had managed to somehow blow your cover and send you into hiding."

His words are enough to make Pepper throw the nearest solid object at him in utter frustration.

"Why does everyone assume I only worked for you because I was forced to?" she asks, looking up at Tony. "I mean, did I appear to hate my job? Was I not good at it? I'd really like to know, because obviously I didn't seem to be enjoying myself."

Tony quirks an eyebrow in her direction. "Probably because you always looked ready to strangle me most of the time. Well, that or they don't know you were fired when you punched out that director..."

Her mouth drops open. "How did you...?" She pauses and scowls. "He was an ass. And that's it – you are banned from ever speaking to Michael again. _Ever_."

"Wait...Michael? Who the hell is Michael?" Rhodes apparently has had enough because he sorta falls into the nearest chair with an undignified bleat.

"Michael is my brother," Pepper says blandly. "Tony, don't you think Rhodey and Mick would get along? I think we should take the time to introduce them."

Tony looks from her to Rhodey and gets a purely evil expression. "Sure on one strong condition. We'll just make sure to make a call on the way back to the house so we can tell him you're finally bringing 'Daddy' home to meet him."

"What an excellent idea, Mr. Stark." Pepper walks around the couch to where she left her phone on the table. "I'm sure Mick will be thrilled – he has been looking for someone to beat the crap out of."

"Okay, I get it. I'm an idiot." Rhodes holds his hands up in surrender. "Just don't drag me into whatever it is that you're planning, because frankly, man, that look scares me when it's just on one of your faces."

Tony finds a chair that puts him closer to Pepper than Rhodes is and settles into it. "For the record, our 'deal' was null and void as of 2003."

Rhodey snorts. "Since when? I got you that _Maxim_ model. Not to mention the brunette with the very large...well that should have made up the difference."

"GENTLEMEN!" Happy abruptly speaks up, "There is a lady in your presence."

"Thank you, Happy. However, your concern might be a little late. I think I remember the brunette," Pepper says dryly. "Besides...I'd like to hear the specifics of this 'deal.' Sounds fascinating." Pepper picks up her open bag of Kettle chips and starts munching, looking for all the world as if she's settled in to a good movie.

Tony shoots her a look that can only be described as murder and abruptly stands. "I am going to take a shower and pack my damn bags. You –" he says pointing at her with dire warning…

She smiles at him and nods. "I'll be right here where you left me."

Tony then casts a look at Rhodey that could peel off newly hung wallpaper, before retreating into the other room. The door slams behind him with an unmistakable bang.

Happy and Rhodey are the only two left, and both men are looking distinctly uncomfortable "Will you two relax?" Pepper asks, pretty sure she had control of the room at the moment. Dumb shock can leave a room pretty manageable. "I'm only seven months along. I'm not going to explode or anything."

Happy shrugs a little. "I think Col. Rhodes is less worried about that than he is other things...including Mr. Stark. He is right about Tony's unfortunate new habit of missing his cardiology appointments."

"Tony's fine. He just needs a little bit of time to himself to calm down. And he might be a little cranky because we were up early and there hasn't been time for a nap today." She pauses before digging in the knife a little. "That, and he's probably still pissed off that you thought so little of me, _and_ of him."

She's still a little pissed off herself. She and Rhodes had gotten to know each other pretty well over the last ten years. That he'd doubted her so easily hurt. She'd thought she'd earned more of his respect. That he'd even considered she might have betrayed her country left a sour taste in her mouth.

Rhodey sighs. "I didn't doubt you, Pepper. He thought I did because he was already so pissed off he refused to listen to the rest of what I was saying that day he felt the need to break my damn cheekbone. And for the record, if that's not his kid and you didn't _have _to leave, I am never speaking to you again. You have no idea what it's been like. He's been in hell and he has been hell and I thought that he was the one with no maturity in your relationship…not you."

'Oh fuck you,' Pepper wants to spit. She just barely manages to control herself. However she can't keep everything inside. "I don't know what my leaving put him through?" she asks in a tone that is no less deadly for being quiet. "_I don't know_? What the _hell_ do you think happened when he ran into me? I hope you're not assuming it was all sunshine and rose petals, because I _know_ you're supposed to be smarter than that."

He opens his mouth to start telling her everything that he thinks she doesn't know and she cuts him off with a vicious diatribe.

"Heart attack," she says. "Nitrates. Three months of doing nothing but 'basic maintenance' on the suit. One injunction, two attempts to buy him out, three times he let _very_ good outside propositions slip through his fingers without even blinking. Insomnia, malnutrition, _depression_, a ten point dip in stock over the last quarter due to nothing being accomplished, and the phrase, 'I don't know, math stuff,' is still ringing in my ears. He hasn't been taking care of himself, or even pretending to, and yes I know what you're going to say next. One missing personal assistant that led to the entire mess, because if I hadn't disappeared, he wouldn't have worked himself to the point of exhaustion, wouldn't have had the heart attack which in turn wouldn't have led to the depression. Is there anything you'd like to add, or would you care to admit that I might have a basic understanding of the situation?"

Rhodey just stares at her, as she stands there and pants. She's so angry she can barely form words, but she's trying.

"Pepper, sit the fuck down," comes a quiet voice behind her. And she turns to find Tony in the doorway.

He looks Rhodey straight in the eye and yanks his finger in the direction of the office. "We are taking this 'little talk' of ours into the other room."

"Tony..." Pepper starts to protest this new development, but Tony just lifts his eyebrows at her.

"You're sitting down," he tells her.

"I'll just make you tell me later." She's pissed off that he would try to leave her out of this.

"Fine. Then we'll talk about it later when we're both rational. Coming, Rhodey?" he asks. Pepper doesn't know what makes him so certain that she's actually going to do what he says, but she does. She sits down and picks up her bottle of juice and starts sipping.

Rhodey, looking a little trepidacious, nods to Happy and glances at Pepper once before following Tony out of the room. Once the man is through the door, Tony slams it with a bang, and a furious but completely undecipherable montage of rising and falling voices start

Pepper listens to those voices, and she's glad she did as Tony asked. 'Well, he would have asked if he weren't so upset,' she tells herself. But still, she listens to what parts she can hear carefully, wincing as she hears the words "security clearance," "confidentiality," and "debriefing." There's also a good smattering of curse words in there, but she ignores those.

She's finally – _finally_ – starting to understand what leaving Tony means. Not just to him or to her, but the effect it had on things as a whole. She wonders how many projects got derailed because people got jumpy about her absence.

"Jarvis, how many files did you _not_ send to me today?"

"Approximately thirty-six," the AI responds promptly.

'Yeah.' Shit. Pepper reaches for her phone and shoots off a quick text to Mick. "Contact whoever it is you know that's highest up in the chain of command," she tells him. "I may have understated exactly what it is that I do for Tony."

Behind her she can hear Happy chortling, and the sound is so out of place that she looks at him over her shoulder. "What is so funny?" she asks, semi-aware that she doesn't have to make herself heard over the yelling in the other room.

"You're all like the fricking Brady Bunch with a bad side order of crack," he tells her. "And yet, this is the best I've seen the Boss in months."

"Thanks," Pepper says dryly. "Speaking of 'the Boss,' did you get any orders about what to do if I came back?" she asks. "And I don't mean orders from Tony."

Happy laughs so hard his sides split. "Only one. Offer you a field commission with a full security clearance and a two million dollar bonus if you'd agree to come back." He didn't look like he was joking either. Which Pepper found a little frightening

"Ooookaaay... Not what I was expecting," she admits. "However, I'm not going to complain if they don't want to force a Family reunion. Though for the record, I think field work may be out of the question. Not that I want to go back to work for them anyway."

"Oh, I also have to report you Ma'am," Happy explains. "The director very, very much wants to speak to you. Something about your brother, she said."

He shrugs. "As for field work Ma'am...you've been doing it for years now. This way at least you'd get paid for keeping him in line. Think of it as college tuition." He shrugs again, clearly a little uncomfortable. "I know it may sound like an insult when I say this, but it's probably the best deal all around. You don't want to know what he did all those years ago when they sent that bitch Gretch to crawl into his bed."

"Actually, I think I _would_ like to know," Pepper drawls as she sends her brother another text, this time to the tune of 'You're in deep shit.' "As for ever going to work for them again, I think it'd be a large conflict of interest since I'm pretty sure Tony's going to propose, and I think I'll probably end up accepting. There's more than one way to pay tuition."

"I'm just laying out the offer, Ma'am...they want to set you up as his liaison. As for Gretchen... It's really not a pretty story. He was younger then and he really loved her. She though, showed a murder worthy talent for just playing with his head." Happy shakes his head. "He had a ring, Ma'am. And she laughed in his face."

Pepper slowly looks up from her phone. She meets Happy's eyes and considers her words. "I hope someone reported her for improper conduct," she says carefully. "Because if she got away with that Scot free, I probably _will_ end up in the stockade, except it'll be for assaulting a federal officer."

Happy sighs. "They don't know where she even is, Pepper. She disappeared eleven years ago, and let's just say the former director didn't like to admit he could make mistakes. Especially when there are rumors he was sleeping with her as well."

"_God_, that man was an ass," Pepper hisses under her breath. "Fine. Then if I ever get the pleasure of meeting her, she's fair game. Do you have any idea why the director wants to talk to my brother? Because getting the reason out him will be like pulling teeth. All he told me was that he's in the process of being retired."

Happy shrugs. "They sort of have a 'thing,' Ma'am. Or that's what the story is anyway. Course I don't think the director realized that was the case till he went apeshit on her that way and then popped smoke like a ghost in a grave yard."

"Wait, wait, wait. Are talking about _the_ director, or the regional director?" This is starting to sound like a bigger headache than Pepper really wants to deal with.

"I'm talking about Amelia Taylor Wright. The new up and comer that until about six months ago was his undercover partner."

"Oh." Pepper thinks about that. This Wright person probably isn't _the_ director, but from the way Happy's talking, she might be within the next decade. And she had a 'thing' with her brother? Mick was _taken_? "Oh..."

She sends Mick one last text. "Mick and Amelia sitting in a tree..."

Mick's text message back reads simply, "Fuck you." Seconds after she reads that the door to the bedroom opens. Tony and Rhodey emerge together, red faced and a little ruffled, but otherwise appearing their typical 'fine.'

"I admit, that was quieter than I expected." Pepper starts to get up until Tony starts glowering at her. She rolls her eyes and settles back again. "That's only going to work for so long, Stark," she informs him.

"We're leaving," he announces calmly. "And Rhodey has agreed to fuck off until we've straightened out this mess and you can come home legitimately."

"Alright," she agrees. "I've already let Mick know we'll need his help. Truly, between the two of us, we can get this resolved in a day or two. We Potts are very efficient."

Tony nods at that and slings a bag over his shoulder. She hadn't noticed it sitting down at his feet. "Well that wraps it, Potts. Let's blow the hell out of this popstand and go get something to eat."

"Ice cream?" she asks as she gets to her feet with a little help from him. "There's a Hagen-Daas on the way back."

He snorts. "Ice cream is not real food, Pepper. But if you eat your entire lunch I MAY buy you a scoop of chunky monkey on the way back."


	8. Chapter 8

The clock reads eight o'clock when Pepper finally opens her eyes

**Author's Note:** it's my day for updating apparently. :P

* * *

The clock reads eight o'clock when Pepper finally opens her eyes. She's more than a little amazed when she sees the florescent numbers. The last time she slept this late is such a distant memory that she can't place it. But then, she _had_ stayed up until after eleven, working through more of the files that Jarvis had transferred to her laptop. She'd been tired, but diving back into work had felt like pulling on a favorite pair of sweats and she hadn't been able to pull her eyes away even when Tony had fallen asleep in bed next to her.

If he hadn't woken up briefly and closed her laptop without a word, she probably would have stayed up longer. He'd cuddled in for a proper snuggle though, and she'd realized as she lay there that his warm, sleepy body by far outweighed last quarter's budget report.

She wonders if this is how it's going to be now: the closeness, and the sharing, and the bed, and her staying up too late working until he decides she's had enough and he stops her with that arrogance she finds irritating and endearing by turns. Or maybe it'll be her some nights, calling down to the garage and telling him he has five minutes to finish up whatever he's doing before she tells Jarvis to cut the power.

It should feel new and exciting to have Tony pressed up against her back while he sleeps. The sensations should be enough to send her pulse racing. But it's…different. It's familiar in a way, even though all the hugs she's gotten from him have occurred in the last two days. It's comforting to have his arm slung low on her hips, his fingers brushing the lower curve of her belly where her shirt has risen up and he can touch skin. The heat of his body is relaxing, the leg between hers eases the strain on her back because it leaves her hips better aligned with her spine.

Her pulse is racing, but it's because she never dreamed she might still be here one day. She'd never imagined this door could be opened again once she snuck out of it and locked it behind her.

Her pulse races because she wants Tony, yes. But she wants all of him, including these rare quiet moments.

The overwhelming sense of security and contentment she feels causes her to doze off, though she never truly loses consciousness. So she knows when he wakes up, smiles as he automatically pulls her closer and buries his face in her hair. And when she feels him just as automatically recoil as he realizes he's pressing a morning erection against her bottom, she holds onto his wrist and says, "Don't. Don't go."

He stops, and she knows it's only because she asked it of him. If she hadn't, he'd probably be out of the bed by now. His entire body is stiff behind her, enough so that he's retreated even if he hasn't moved.

"Tony," she gently cajoles as she turns the hand that'd gone rigid in hers. "Tony…" She presses his palm against her belly and holds it there, not speaking again until it's relaxed in hers. "Don't go," she repeats. "I've seen you looking at my body; it's not like you've taken any pains to hide it. And yes, I feel like I'm living in some weird alternate universe where Jonah swallowed the whale instead of the other way around. But from what I've seen in your eyes, you're not…disgusted. And I don't mind if you touch me. Actually, I enjoy it. It's nice. You don't have to be so embarrassed that you have to pull away."

She waits for his response, knowing on some level she'll be hurt if he tries to pull away again. The one she gets is not quite what she expects. "Pepper," he says a little cautiously, "It would be a little stupid of me right now to try and pretend that I don't want you. But I really need a bathroom. So _please_ let me up." He squirms. "Because if I don't hit a restroom and we stay in this proximity, we are _definitely_ going to need to change the sheets."

She laughs, and lets him go. If he hadn't tacked on that last bit she probably would have been left stinging and considering whether or not she was going to withdraw. Instead she accepts his humor and rearranges the blankets when he rolls out of bed.

He's gone for a few minutes, which gives Pepper time to wake up. She's rested and relaxed, and her brain feels like it's actually capable of working efficiently instead of at half power like it has been for months. When Tony comes back to the bedroom, she looks at him over her shoulder, one eyebrow raised as she gently pats the bed.

'Come back to bed,' that look says, though without the invitation for sex. Truth be told, she's not in the mood and she knows that it's as much nerves as hormones. But she wants to be close to him, and she wants to broach a difficult subject before either of them can fully raise their defenses to cope with everything else they'll have to deal with today.

He smiles, a little sheepishly, and climbs back under the blankets. "Sorry about earlier...though you can consider it a compliment." His grin is naughty though not particularly serious. It may be she's not the only one who's not exactly eager to add any tension to this morning. "So did you sleep alright?" he asks conversationally, as he spoons up behind her and lays his chin on her shoulder.

"You're not the only one who sleeps better when we're close." She takes his hand and places it back against her belly. "I always thought that sharing a bed all night would keep me from sleeping...though maybe it's just because you're you and not someone else."

Beneath his hand the baby kicks. "Is the munchkin always this active in early morning?" he inquires of her softly, smiling a little at the almost constant feel of motion under his hand. "Because if so, we definitely need start getting you to bed earlier so you get a full eight hours of sleep." He kisses her cheek before he continues, in a voice that is quiet and a little bit hazy. "I used to dream sometimes in Afghanistan. That you were there and we were just resting there in what passed for my bed. I don't know what it was about it, but those were the nights I actually woke up feeling rested. Must have been my subconscious trying to give me a hint." His arms tighten around her slightly. "So what's on the agenda for today?"

He never talks about his experiences in Afghanistan or even what resulted from them. That he says what he does so casually gives her the strength to open the table for discussion. "Actually, I was hoping we could stay in bed for awhile longer." She takes an uncomfortable breath. "Remember yesterday when I said that I wanted us to be able to always tell each other the truth? I think we need to start making a habit of that today."

He raises an eyebrow, but lets her continue uninterrupted. "There's all sorts of discussions we've put off having, Tony," she rushes to say before she loses her nerve. "And I think we need to start having them. Not all at once. That actually sounds kind of hellish. But I think that once or twice a day we need to sit down with each other have one of them. There's a lot of junk we need to shift through."

He shifts a little behind her, as if trying to get comfortable. Then he exhales very deeply and she feels his chin brush her shoulder as he gently nods his head. "That's fine with me. Though before we go any further I do need to ask…do you need to eat first? Because I'm guessing this will go better if neither of us is ravenously hungry."

She laughs softly. "Tony...if we go downstairs, Mick is immediately going to start in on the fact that we slept so late. And I was kinda hoping to have one of our discussions before we raised our shields for the day. But if you have another option, I'm willing to listen and compromise."

He shakes his head, after a moment of silent reflection. "I can stand being hungry. I don't know if I can handle your brother this morning." He shifts again. "Though to be honest, and you don't take this wrong, we should probably find a new position to lay in before we start this thing up." He shifts against her just a little, and she realizes his morning erection has yet to fully abate. "Because at the moment being this close is proving more than a little ...uhm...distracting. And I'd like to have an actual functional brain if you really want to talk."

"I'm seven months pregnant," she says as if this should preclude her causing him to become aroused by her while conscious. All the comment earns her is a laugh and a shake of his head.

"Pepper, I hate to break it to you, but that's _not_ a deterrent. At least not from where I am lying anyway." He kisses her cheek impulsively, and then rolls back slightly. She feels the bed shift as he props himself up. "Do you need help rolling over?" He's laying near the edge of the bed, head resting on his angle shaped propped up hand. "We can also just sit against the headboard...or you can stay as you are. Though I do admit I'd prefer to talk in a position where we can actually _see_ each other..."

"Bully," she teases, though a part of her admits that she would have preferred doing this without eye contact. There's still just so much she feels guilty for. But she accepts the help he offers until they're face to face. "Okay. There. We're set." She smiles nervously. "I brought it up, so why don't you choose the first topic? I'll choose this evening. Or tomorrow if we're not up to another round later today."

He shrugs. Looks a little embarrassed. "To be honest, Pepper…I'm not sure what to ask. And no, I'm not trying to dodge the issues. I'm just still sorting though a lot in my head, and I'm not sure what I even want to tackle yet."

"Alright." She reaches out to run her fingers around the casing of the reactor. "Then how about this for an opening topic: You keep making references to our future. You and me...and the baby." It's not a question, but she's not sure how to ask what his intentions are towards her and she doesn't want to goad him into saying anything he doesn't mean. Just because she thinks she has a pretty good read on him doesn't mean she actually does.

Six months apart in this case, is a _long_ time. They have so many experiences between them. And just because she needs to have things defined in black and white right now doesn't mean he feels the same need.

Perhaps he's thinking in terms of "down the road" and "someday it'd be nice" instead of more immediate dates.

"You want to know what I want out of you? Is that what you're asking?" He's smiling, just the tiniest little bit, in what is probably relief.

She shakes her head. "No, I think I understand that much. But you keep talking about..._houses_..." Her voice sounds a little overwhelmed in her own ears. "And us living together, and your newfound desire to be a father..." She winces. "Sorry. Sorry. I suppose if you want to keep me the baby's just automatically part of the deal."

"I want us to have a life together. And a house that suits the needs and wants and dreams of all three of us. Living together...? Well, I can barely stand being apart for two hours – so yeah, I'd say that's a pretty much non-negotiable request. As for the baby..." He shakes his head. "I've got loads of issues there. But it's not with you or with the munchkin...hell, that kid in particular has had no say in any of this." He sighs very deeply tries to put his thoughts together. There's a pause of almost a minute before he finally resumes. "Look, I lived without you six months, and it was torture. Having you back...well the details are negotiable, as long as the main issues get addressed. Bottom line, I think we should get married. But I'm not dumb enough to believe that it's that uncomplicated, or that you're necessarily ready to do the same.

"All I know Pepper, is I want us to be together. I want...no, I _need_ to have a say in your life. I can't stand being on the outside anymore. It's strange and it's stupid...and maybe a little reckless, but it's what I want all the same. Only you can say what you're comfortable with in terms of how we do it though, because frankly, you're the one who would have to deal with all the shit that would come with you being my wife."

She thinks he has it backwards, because she's been dealing with most of that 'shit' for years now. Some of it will change if they marry, but a lot of it won't.

"You _think_ we should get married, or you _want_ to marry me?" she asks quietly. "There is a difference, Tony. I don't want you if you're only trying to do the right thing –"

"You're necessary to me, Pepper. So don't paint me as somehow unselfish. I'm doing this because I need to, because the alternative doesn't even bear thinking about. Besides you talk about the things I want and the things I feel like I should do as if they're separate entities..." He shrugs, "For once can't they just equal the same thing?"

He's struggling..._really_ struggling to find the right words to share what he's thinking.

And yes he does seem entirely lost, but if Pepper is fair she has to acknowledge that for him this is as foreign a territory as Afghanistan ever was.

His eyes are bright and intense though, and whatever she might say about motives, she can see that he at least doesn't believe that he's lying.

So she takes a moment to really consider his words, to turn them around and around in her head and examine them from every angle. "You think," she says slowly, still trying to restate what he just said in a way that makes sense to her. "You think that being my husband is the right thing for _you_. Not the right thing for you to do, just what's right for _your life_." She meets his eyes. "Is that essentially what you're saying?"

He looks back at her after she says it, tilts his head and turns his gaze inward in some kind of self contemplation. Then he grins and shakes his head in the affirmative. "In paraphrase? Yeah that pretty much sums up the situation."

Pepper relaxes. She's not aware of the answering smile that slowly transforms her face or of the tension that leaves her eyes. "Okay," she whispers. "Because I think I can see you as my husband. So we seem to have no issue."

His eyes crinkle a little as he reaches out and squeezes her hand. "So...did we just get engaged? To be clear on the record. Because if we did I'm impressed that neither of us managed to ask the question directly of the other."

"Yeah...I think we did. Though if you want to ask, I'm willing to listen." Her smile grows into a grin before slowly fading. "Do you mind if I raise a few nitpicky little details?" There are some issues still that will need some resolving.

Tony waves a hand in her direction. "Ask away. I have no intention of complaining. This way we can snipe about who asked who thought of it first for the rest of our lives."

His humor is quirky, inappropriate and wicked. In short, the best thing she's heard in a very long time. It's what gives her the courage to go on. "Okay...which detail do you want first? The one I think you don't want to hear, or the one I don't think you'll mind much?"

Because one of the topics was going to piss him off. Or she expected as much.

He raises an eyebrow at this, but waves a hand in her direction again. "Get the bad one out of the way first and then I won't be dreading what's coming."

"Okay. I think you should call Gary Larson." There's not a hint of recognition in his eyes. "Your lawyer," she adds after a moment.

"I've already called the legal department," he admits very softly. "I wanted to find out a few things about marriage and child custody laws." He looks a little guilty as he makes the admission. Which in retrospect, may be a little bit frightening.

"I was talking about pre-nups," she says, confused and needing to know where he was going with this. "What do you mean, child custody laws?" Now he's looking worried and she forces herself to calm down. "Tony, you have no idea how relieved I am that you have any inclination at all to be a father, but I need more information than that. Well, I trust you, so I guess I don't. But please tell me anyway?"

He finally shrugs, and fails to look apologetic. "I wanted to know if what I read online the other day was actually true. And if you want a pre-nup we'll write one up...but I get to choose the settlement amounts."

Pepper blinks at what is turning out to be quite probably the weirdest non argument she's ever had in her life.

"Well, okay. That was easier than I thought it would be, frankly. What did you read online?" Because now she's just curious.

"That in most states the law says that the legal father of any child is the woman's legal husband at the time of its birth." He smirks a little. "I intend to shoplift Mark Delaney's lack of foresight right out from under him. And no I don't feel the slightest bit guilty. I don't know what the situation is with him…whether or not you even told him you're pregnant. But I'm a possessive dick, Pepper, and I don't mind playing dirty."

Pepper can't help the tears that burn her eyes when he makes the simple statement. This isn't showing an _inclination_ toward being a father, this is _chasing_ _after_ fatherhood full speed with a very large horse. This is planning and clear intent. And right now she loves him more than she ever has in her life.

"Who am I to argue with you when you're so determined?" she asks, though her voice trembles a little. "I guess we'd better get married in the next few weeks then." And then she kisses him because there's nothing else to do, because telling him how honored and adored he's making her feel would only sound sappy.

He kisses her back, with clear enthusiasm, and then pulls back and gives in to uncontrollable snickering. "And here I was afraid I was going to get myself in trouble for being a greedy possessive bastard."

"Tony, no one's _ever_ made me feel this loved. No one's ever wanted me this much...unless you count the time Donald Trump tried to hire me away from you."

He raises an eyebrow. "Donny boy?" He rolls his eyes. "You'd have been bored in a week, Potts, and his toupee would have driven you crazy."

"Probably." She sighs and then raises her second detail. "I get the feeling that you've made the decision to stay in Savannah until after the baby's born haven't you?"

"You have a doctor you trust, your brother is here. The media isn't and I'm kind of attached to the ocean. Besides, if I brought you back to LA I would never get any work done at all. I would be stuck following you around all day long telling you to not lift this or that, bringing you food or stopping you from throwing things at people like Rhodey." He shrugs. "Here in Savannah at least I've got Mick to help provide backup."

"Then we're talking about a small wedding. A justice of the peace down at the courthouse wedding." And truthfully, it's what she wants. She doesn't want a circus, she doesn't want the big dress or all the attention. She wants to quietly and meaningfully marry the man she loves.

"Well that or we hire a chaplain to come here. I'm betting Rhodey could track down someone from the nearby base. As long as we avoid the circus frenzy, I don't care how we go about the details." He rests a gentle hand on her belly. "We've got bigger things to plan for. For one thing it's time we start figuring out what you want for names, and how I'm going to blackmail them into giving me back my god-damned company."

"Going to your doctor's appointments might help," she gently suggests. "As might reminding them why the company will go under fast without you."

"I know, I know." He groans just a little. "But to be frank, Pepper, the cardiologist I'm assigned to is an absolute prick. I mean, I kid you not, he drools over the arc generator...and he completely ignores all the issues I have with my meds. I know he's supposed to be the best there is, but at this point I'm ready to chuck it all and just try Chinese holistic medicine. Or maybe check myself into an autoshop, because the results couldn't possibly end up worse."

Pepper smiles to herself in spite of the ridiculousness of the analogy. "How about we compromise? We chuck him, and then find you another cardiologist? Hell, if Phil's credentials and license are up to date and he's still accredited, I doubt anyone is going to argue much. He's an experienced cardiologist, he's military even if he does run a bar in his free time, and if that option doesn't sit well, I'm sure he can recommend someone."

"I've considered the option," Tony admits after a moment. "He annoys me a hell of a lot less than Dr Demento, that much is for certain."

"I know," she says dryly. "You actually listen to him for one thing."

"Yes well, I'm sort of in support of anyone who can make me stop puking." He informs her, lifting his eyebrow archly before he continues. "Well that and his nurse doesn't offer me a god forsaken sugar free lollypop every time I come in."

She laughs and then sobers. "You're probably also going to need to get a psych eval, Tony. If you are really serious about getting things back on track." He starts to protest and she cuts him off. "I'm serious, and I'm sorry because I know you hate even the idea. I know. But after your behavior the last few months, which I am _not_ blaming on you in any way, I don't think the board will budge until they're confident that you're not just the crackpot genius who keeps the money rolling in. Because I've been doing my research, Tony. Other companies are trying to position themselves to fill in the void. And the board can't afford to leave things as they are that much longer. They need to know their C.E.O is mentally competent to handle the challenges the next few months are inevitably going to throw at him."

He groans a little. "I was off my rocker, Pepper. And any shrink with two licks of sense is going to know it if they get a look at my recent medical and social history. I'm not saying I won't do it...just that I don't think it will help." He taps his forehead, "Because there's a lot of shit up here and not all of it is even from current events." He sighs very deeply looking up to the ceiling. "There's also the matter of finding a qualified person. Because thanks to Afghanistan anybody...and I do mean anybody who I talk to is going to have to be trustworthy and have top secret security clearance."

She winces, because she knows they're going to have to have _that_ discussion eventually too. "I know, Tony. But I think the board will see it as a show of good faith. If I were in their shoes, I'd be getting a little desperate right now." Then she pulls away a little so she can see his face better. "And I think I know someone you might be able to talk to. Someone with the credentials and the clearance you need."

He raises an eyebrow, motions for her to continue. She squirms a little, than admits what should have been obvious to him all along. "Mick may like to cook, Tony, but he learned it as a way to take a break in the summers during college. The CIA trained him for undercover work and basic profiling, which means he has a master's in human psychology. If he hasn't finished his doctorate yet."

Tony just gapes and her for a moment, and then he finally starts snickering. "Okay I don't why I'm not pissed, but it just makes a perfect ironic sort of sense."

"Once again, not as hard as I thought it would be." Pepper relaxes again. "One more thing before I take you up on your offer of breakfast and we don't get another moment alone because we'll have to break the news to Mick. I think we need to invite Rhodes to the wedding."

In the space of a heartbeat, Tony loses all semblance of a smile. His fists tighten convulsively, and his head shakes a little. "I'm not saying I will never work it through with him, but I'm sorry, Pepper. He hasn't earned that privilege right now."

Pepper sighs, makes one more attempt. "Tony, he's your friend. He's my friend. And I'm sure he thought he was doing what was best for you when he pointed out how bad my taking off looked. Because it did. You lost business because of it. I know you don't care about the business, but that's not the point. My point is you've been friends forever –"

"I can barely stand to be in the same room with him at the moment." He shakes his head. "And I don't want that kind of feeling in my head when we're in the middle of exchanging vows. It's not the right way to begin anything. He...he was my oldest friend. He doesn't get off easy in this, Pepper, because he damn well knew enough of you and of me for him to have known a lot better."

It's time to bring the discussion to a close. "Alright. If that's what you want, I won't argue. This is your wedding too." She squeezes his hand. Besides, they still had at least a month before she started to get fidgety about getting married before the baby was born. "I suppose we should get out of bed now and go face the music."

Tony nods, looking a little relieved. "So...what's the odds we can slip by your brother? Because it may just be me, but there's something seriously weird about him right now. I called him a punk and he didn't as much as throw a return insult at me."

Pepper smirks. "Oh. I have a feeling I might know what's going on."

Tony raises an eyebrow with the implicit meaning in his expression being 'tell me.'

"Well, I have this CIA contact," she starts, not mentioning that it's Happy. "And I was asking last night if it was just the military who wanted to talk to me, or if they wanted to debrief me too... Don't look so surprised, Tony. You and Rhodes were yelling. Anyway, this guy said that the only reason the CIA wanted to talk to me is because they want to talk to Mick. Or more precisely, the acting regional director who used to be Mick's partner wants to talk to _him_ because apparently he _freaked out_, kissed her like a madman, and then disappeared five months ago."

Tony blinks again. "Wait a minute...just did you say _Michael _was...he was kissing a _woman_?"

"Okay...seriously, it's time to feed you, Stark. Yes, he was kissing a woman. Apparently you missed it yesterday when he announced that he's actually bisexual."

"No, I heard it...halfway believed it even...but seriously...what kind of messed up person falls for someone like him?"

She's about to jump to her brother's defense when she catches the wicked gleam in Tony's eye. "_Be nice_," she tells him. "Mick's the reason you had anyone to _find_ in Savannah. Keep that in mind."

He raises his hands. "Hey, I didn't say anything. Well okay I said quite a lot but he deserved every bit." He shrugs. "Let's go down and face the reaper, then Potts, because I don't know about you, but I'm absolutely starving. Besides, I think this whole Mick as the messed up one deserves a little love and attention."

Tony holds her hand all the way down the stairs. Mick must have heard them coming because he appears at the bottom of the stairs. "I figured you'd appear when you got hungry. Just like stray cats..." He trails off as he narrows his eyes at their clasped hands.

"Something you want to share with the rest of the class?" he asks, sounding pretty close to normal.

Pepper nudges Tony. He raises an eyebrow. They had never discussed how or when they were going to tell him. And Tony's got bigger priorities…

"So...the hot director Lady, who's apparently looking for you. Did you pin her to a wall in a private place or in front of her whole office?"

"Tony!" Pepper pokes him hard enough in the ribs to have him dancing away. But then she has to look at Mick, who's staring at her like he can't believe she just broke a pinky promise or something.

She groans, "Yes, fine, the CIA put an APB out on me, apparently, so that they could find Y-O-U. So no more giving me crap on my disappearing act. Because if I'm the pot, then you're definitely the kettle. So let's just move along. Tony and I are engaged."

Mick blinks at this announcement, blinks again. Nods just a little but still reminds Tony a great deal of Bambi. He's actually sweating a little. It's hard to tell if it's in reaction to their news or what they were talking about in the minutes just before.

Tony watches, considers and finally tests out a theory. "So this lady...Amelia, I think they said…. Is she at least a decent fuck?"

And then he steps out of the way at Mick comes right at him swinging. "Anthony Stark! Michael Potts! Both of your knock it off this instant!" Pepper doesn't know which one to lay into first. Mick's hand goes through the wall, and then he's turning and bolting headlong down the stairs.

Well. That leaves her with just one victim, since she's in no shape to go chasing after her brother. She turns on Tony. Her foot starts tapping. Not as effective without the heels, she knows, but it's a habit. Her arms cross over her chest and she _waits_.

Tony shrugs. "It's called emotion recognition therapy. I was just...how do they put it? 'Returning the favor.'"

"And what did he do to you?" she snarls in Mick's defense, still unable to believe that Tony had done that.

Okay that wasn't true…she did believe he'd do it. In fact it was precisely in Tony's no hold barred nature.

Still, there was such a thing as delicacy after all. And did he have to be such a bull in a china shop?

"Pepper, we needed information if we're going to properly meddle. We needed to know where he stands with this woman, and now we do, so we can actually be useful. It was a matter of doing what I did or taking him out to tea in an effort to try to make him 'open up.' In my opinion this was three times more effective, and a hell of a lot quicker."

"You're an _ass_," she growls. "He's my brother, Tony."

"Yes and now we know exactly what we're facing and we can go and fix the problem. It was diagnostic, Pepper. Crude maybe but also effective and repairable. So don't get your dander up, or he'll end up forgiving me for it long before you do."

"I'd pack my bags just in case if I were you," she grumbles. "_Don't_ do that again. I love my brother, and my being here has hurt him enough."

Tony looks at her a moment, and she sees a struggle behind his eyes. Finally he decides to say something apparently, because a chill pricks the back of her neck. "Mick's not in pain because you're here, Pepper. He's in pain because he can't re-kill your mother."

Her reaction to having Mick bring up her mother is nothing like her reaction to hearing _Tony_ bring up her mother. It's like her body instantly goes numb, like she can't breathe, like she can't hear. Except at the same time she's nauseous, and she's panting shallowly, and she can most definitely hear the wounded sounding whimper that gets past her lips.

"How do you know about her?" she asks, still reeling from this unseen attack.

Tony is watching her carefully, with clear regret on his face. "I don't know her really, Pepper...just what Mick ranted in a rare moment of mutual understanding." He continues watching her for another moment, then cusses under his breath. "Pepper, breathe...I've known for almost three days now, and guess what; the world didn't end. Now I need you to take a deep breath, blow it out, and sit down. Because your blood sugar is in the toilet and I'm about to make you an omelette, which you are then going to eat."

"I wouldn't bet on that," she whispers as she moves over the table and carefully sits down. "I think I'm going to throw up."

"Keep breathing. The sensation will pass if you give it a chance." He sounds like he knows, like he's speaking from personal experience. Which maybe he is, for all the information she has. After Afghanistan it's almost impossible to believe that there's anything he might not grasp anymore.

"We're not talking about my mother," she tells him, hoping he'll take the hint.

"That's not an option," he informs her soberly. "Because I don't believe for a second she's not influencing not just this conversation, but every other one we've ever had."

There's nothing to say to that, and though she hates herself for, Pepper pushes herself up from the table because she has every intention of leaving because she's _not_ going to have this discussion, she _can't_ have this discussion, but Tony's there and he's holding her, and he's not letting go.

"You got your one free ticket out, Pepper. You already used it. Go ahead and hate me if you have to, but we are talking about this whether you like it or not because I'm not going to lose you...not even _part_ of you, ever again."

"Tony, I'm going to be sick," she whispers and this time she means it and he barely gets her in time to the sink. "Don't make me do this," she whispers when she's done and he's running water down the sink. "I just... it's too much, Tony."

"We've got no choice, Pepper." His voice is low. His face is pale and apologetic, but he forces them forward. "Because she's probably at the root of all of this, and while she's still buried there everything else we try to be...try to _grow_, will never take root."

"She's dead. It shouldn't matter anymore," she almost begs. "She's not a part of my life anymore."

His eyes are pained but he shows no mercy. "Tell that to the man you left because you were too afraid to really love someone and the child you're afraid to acknowledge exists. To you, Pepper, she's still here."

He hands her a towel he's wet under the sink, and then forcibly places her in a chair. "You're carrying a corpse around on your back, Pepper. And the decomposition is taking down more than just your own life these days."

She wants to hit him but is afraid she'll break if she does, that she'll just crumble into a pile at his feet. And if she can't fight him, then she can't resist him, and she's going to have to pour out the whole poisonous story and hope that when she's done she hasn't lost everything.

"Not here," she tells him. "If we're doing this, then not here." She stands back up and walks into the living room and seats herself on the sectional. When he's close enough she pulls him down beside her and then she leans into him and wraps her arms around his waist. If she's going to do this, she's going to need him to hold her together long enough to get through it. "I don't know where to start."

He settles with her then against the cushions. Pausing a moment before he whispers, "Fuck it," and literally takes her into his lap.

"At the beginning, Pepper, or in the middle. Anywhere you want as long as it involves you talking instead of stuffing it down." Then he falls silent as he waits, with his nose buried in her hair and his hand rubbing a soothing circle in the small of her back.

She doesn't know how long she's silent, but it's a long time. The only reason she eventually continues is because he doesn't push her, just holds her. "I was five when my dad left. My parents weren't married, and half the time he wasn't around anyway. He was always leaving, I guess. But I was five when he _left_.

"I think I was seven when my mom started doing drugs. I don't know. She wasn't an...affectionate...woman." Pepper stops before she can explain about the scraped knees that never got kisses like on the Band-Aid commercials, or of how she'd thought it was strange when people tried to hug her. She doesn't want Tony to know how pathetic her life had been. Doesn't want to see him making the connections between that and how she sometimes is too brusque when patching him up after a rough mission or her avoidance of any casual contact.

"Maybe she started the drugs before that. But I noticed it somewhere around the age of seven... She always had so much energy but nothing ever got done. So I started doing the chores. Making dinner for myself because she never wanted to eat. Meals were patchy. She didn't buy groceries often." She takes a breath and forces herself to continue. "I was seven and a half when we finally lost the house."

Tony suppresses a groan against her hair, and the sound rips through her like a knife. The rawness of the pain the words are causing is outright agony, and she wishes she had a way to make it somehow better, or somehow right. But she can't fix this…can't fix the images she's painting anymore than she can fix herself. "My mom ended up in a halfway house...we got into a rehabilitation project. For like three months she was actually clean. But then we left the group and we moved into public housing...and it was so _easy_ for her to find what she needed. The first time she realized she could bargain...could get a high in exchange for her spreading her legs… Well, I suppose you could say I lost her for good at that moment." Pepper sighs. "It was actually better, as fucked up as that sounds from an outside perspective. We had a house they couldn't kick us out of...and the neighbors took pity. A couple of them helped to feed us. I learned quick to lock my bedroom door...only had an intruder on one single occasion."

What happened that night, she prefers to not think about.

"Hearing them was worse. I don't know how many Meth users you've been around, but..." She trails off. Tony Stark, around Meth users? She starts laughing in disbelief. There was too much about that world that she knew, and she didn't want to know. She didn't want to remember it, and she didn't want him to know that she knew it. For so many years she'd worked so damn hard to leave that stigma behind...

"By the time I was eight and a half I'd started wising up. I figured out that if I stole just a little from each guy's wallets whenever they visited, they were usually too jacked up to notice. I had to hide it of course, but it worked. I managed to maintain some kind of stable budget. We both had shoes that fit, and I got her a present for Christmas that year. It was almost normal. Things were getting better. But then my teachers started getting suspicious. The school nurse started making noises about social workers... I had to convince the school we were moving and then make it look to the tenants in the building like my mom was home schooling me.

"If Mom..." She chokes. "If she hadn't been on a high when she tried to cross that street that February, I probably could have kept us alive until I was old enough to leave. And you know what, Tony? It was such a fucking _relief_..." Pepper's voice is full of self-loathing. "The social worker told me she was dead and I cried because I was never going to have to risk getting beaten so that I could feed us, or clothe us. I was going to be able to sleep at night without worrying what might happen if anyone remembered I was there. I was only going to have to look out for myself." She's shaking apart, literally coming to pieces, but she has enough sense not to mention that she'd been laughing at the same time she'd been crying. "I didn't go to the funeral," she states in a flat tone.

"She wasn't your mother, Pepper. You had no reason to mourn her." When Tony finally speaks it is through a throat clogged with tears. Pepper pulls back enough to see him clearly and feels a pure, white hot blast of shock at the absolute fury that is contained in his face. "And Mick is right. She didn't die soon or often enough for either of our tastes. Not if that's the hell she put her daughter through."

"I hated Mick," Pepper says for no other reason than that now that she's started it's hard to stop. "I hated it here. He was so...happy. Untroubled. He was always pushing me to play with him...like I was supposed to be _normal_."

"He knew something in you was broken, Pepper. When you see something that beautiful almost destroyed, you do your best to repair it."

"I didn't want to be repaired. I wasn't beautiful. I just wanted to be left alone." She shakes her head in a vehement negative.

"You were beautiful. And you'd never wanted to be saved more at any other point in your life than you probably did that summer." Tony pulls her forward into his arms again buries his nose in his hair. "Your mom broke your ability to trust, but she never got to the part of you that instinctively knew she was wrong. If she had..." He shivers a little, "Well there'd have been no reason for you to put up a fight."

Pepper doesn't bother arguing with him. He didn't need to know that she _hadn't_ wanted to be fixed, because being fixed meant no longer being broken. It meant existing in a state that could be broken again. It was easier to already be ruined and not wait for the next blow to come than it was to hope the blow would never come.

Besides, it doesn't matter. Because Mick had succeeded in putting her back together. Not their father, or his mother, but Mick. It'd taken years, but he'd done it through sheer stubborn tenacity.

He'd refused to let her stay broken. Had bullied her into actually dreaming of some other kind of life. And then she'd just about shattered herself over this Delaney business again. It was no wonder she'd come running back here.

She'd known, instinctively, he would make her fix herself again.

"I blame her for getting pregnant," she whispers against his chest. "At first I blamed her for my baby. Hell, I blame her for everything"

"Why?" is the only thing he asks in reply. And she knows in that moment that he already knows the answer.

But this isn't about telling Tony, this is about facing the shame and finally letting herself repent and be free. "Because thanks to her I don't know _how_ to do forever. I didn't want to even try it because I knew it wouldn't work. So I slept with Delaney because you wouldn't have let me demand a one night engagement, and I didn't want to have to leave you." She chokes back another laugh. "My brilliant plan..."

"Finish it, Pepper," he rumbles quietly. "Say what you have to and run if you need to, but I'll be there when you turn the last corner. You are already mine."

He says those words with a quiet but absolute sense of irretractable surety.

"I'm not good enough for you. And once the press starts digging, everyone will know it."

Tony laughs, low and hollow. Shakes his head like he can't believe what he's hearing. "Like hell: Pepper, you're better than _any_ of us. You're ten times better than me. You survived. Do you get that? Where any of a thousand others would have laid down and died, you _survived_.

"That doesn't make you a coward or damaged goods. Doesn't make you a monster or a person unfit unable to love or be loved. It makes you unbroken. And anyone who tries to say differently is going to have my tail on their ass."

"Get ready to fight then, because they're all going to say I'm a gold-digger and that I'm passing off someone else's child as yours. Because Delaney knows it's his. And if he knows, then he can tell someone."

"Delaney is my problem now, Pepper. You need to leave him to me. As for the gossip… I don't _care_. People who judge other with no mercy and no understanding are of no concern to me. I don't give a damn what they think. This is my life, Pepper, just as much as it's yours. I'll be damned if I'll let the past take it away from me before it's even had a chance to begin."

She lets him shoot down her protests because she's so sick of fighting them. If he tells her he doesn't care about them, she'll trust him enough to believe him. So she finished the sentence and speaks a final truth. The one that haunts her right now above all of the others. "I'm afraid of turning into her, or of becoming something different but just as bad because I refuse to become like her. God, I don't know how to be a mother, Tony. I don't have the first clue about what to do."

"Like hell," he informs her bluntly. "You have been a brilliant mom since the time you were _seven_. You just never figured that out."

Tony's voice is strong but filled with a strange kind of passion. He's not angry so much as he is unyielding – like he will bend to no other truth. "Look at your life, Pepper...look at who you are. Look at your job and your devotion to the company and to me. You've been taking care of people for years, Virginia. You know how to make sacrifices. You know how to have patience. God, you run my damn company, and you think that it's _fun_.

"The only person you've never been able to be a mother to is yourself. Which is only reasonable because I'm sorry but I don't care how smart you were, you were _seven_, and you couldn't fill in certain gaps."

She closes her eyes and rests in his arms. Tries to think if she has anything else to say. Realizes that space in her head is empty. After years of walling off the memories – locking them away – the door is finally cracked open and there's fresh air in the room. "I'm never going to want to talk about her," is the best she can come up with.

"Well tough shit. Because eventually you will need to again, even if you won't today. Because she didn't kill you then, and I'll be damned if I let you hand over your life or your dreams to her memory now." And then he's done with words and all he does is simply sit there and hold her. And Pepper lays there because she's got nowhere else to go and nowhere else she'd rather be.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** I am a horrible awful person who never updates their fics, and I ought to be slapped.

With that said, here's all of In Absence that BJ (4persephone) and I have completed so far.

* * *

About an hour after the confrontation in the kitchen, Pepper is asleep and Tony is sitting in the living room watching the front door. He's plopped down in a chair with his feet up on the room's antique black coffee table.

"Sir, the results of your search have finally come through. It took awhile to gain access to the local cell tower server, but I've been able to track the GPS in Mr. Potts's cellular phone."

"Where is he then?" Tony asks with curiosity. He's betting on either Phil's bar or somewhere on Tybee beach. The address Jarvis provides isn't even on the waterfront though. It's in downtown Savannah in the city's Colonial era cemetery.

It's a long way to go Tony thinks as he scratches his chin. He glances over at Pepper, who'd fallen asleep with her laptop propped up against her swollen belly, going through spreadsheets like they were a hard drink at the end of a long day. It shouldn't have taken him this long to notice that she didn't work so hard because she was a workaholic but for more personal reasons. Now that he knew, he was going to have to keep an eye on her.

For the moment though, it suits him to know that she'll go back to work when she wakes up. So he might as well go do what needs to be done. Because Mick is her brother, and he loves her. Mick was the reason that Pepper existed as he knew her, as he loved her.

Besides, Tony likes Mick Potts - most of the time - despite the fact he was Pepper's family.

"Jarvis, let Pepper know where I went." As he walks out the door with his car keys in hand, the heat is a physical wall that for the first time he would rather turn away from.

The trip to the city is quiet and uneventful. It's midweek and most of the traffic is slow at the end of the workday rush hour. It takes him perhaps twenty minutes to find a place to park, feed the meter and locate the park on the nearly city map. The air is hot and fragrant here in the downtown...the vegetation is lush and the massive vintage buildings actually block the worst of the summer sun's glare as he walks toward the park's main entrance. He enters in through a white stone arch, stopping just long enough to read the two engraved plaques that are on either side. Than he follows the path as far as the above ground mausoleums. He doesn't see Mick anywhere though.

There's a woman on one of the park benches. She's got a purse beside her and a traveler's guide on her lap. She smiles at him as he draws closer and he makes himself resist the urge to roll his eyes at the way her eyes wander his form before he offers a half smile right back.

The trees absorb most of the sounds of the streets surrounding the park and Tony takes his time because it's pleasant being out of doors without being driven there by his demons.

When he finds Mick, the other man is sitting on a bench, staring blankly at the surrounding scenery. Tony's able to walk right up to him and take a seat before Mick even collects himself enough to notice.

"Don't hit me," Tony says, holding his hands up in a gesture of peace. "Pepper's already explained to me that being an ass isn't going to cut it anymore even if it gets the most direct results. It was just…it was someone else's shit to worry about instead of my own."

"I don't hit people as a rule, Stark." Mick startles a little, then turns to face him. "But what you did was unbelievably crummy. Next time you want to know something, I expect you to act like a human and ask. Because that kind of baiting is not only counterproductive, it's also likely to royally piss me off."

"I noticed," Tony says dryly. Then he slouches in the seat and crosses his ankles "Besides, even if I weren't counting on living with you for the next few months, I'd knock it off. Pepper loves you too much and I'm actually too grateful for what you've done for her to consciously do it again." Tony glances over. "Keyword, _consciously_. It's not easy being a recovering asshole."

Mick looks at him and actually snickers. "Was that self diagnosis or did a professional actually come up with that terminology for you?" He gets up off of the bench and starts following the path that circles the outside of the park.

Tony rolls his eyes, but pushes himself off the bench to follow. "Does Pepper count as a professional? Because I think we both know she's just about the only person I always listen to." It's one of the reasons her disappearance had been so hard; he'd been left without anyone who could serve as a anchor for him because everyone else eventually gave when he never stopped pushing. Unless she decided he was right, pushing Pepper in a direction she didn't want to go was like to push over a mountain with only your hands.

"My sister's a fair judge of character, yes; the way she spent her early life meant she pretty much had to be. To be honest, I respect her opinions on just about anyone she encounters...well except for herself." The sandy-haired blond shook his head in amusement, moving past a section of worn down vaults toward the park's eastern wall.

"So...did she send you here to apologize, or did you do that on your own? Because I'm kind of curious at how whipped you are at the moment."

"You know...I might have to take back that comment about not consciously being an asshole..." Mick doesn't even bother looking at him, just flips him off.

Tony sighs and takes a sip from the water bottle he brought along. "Truthfully, she's under doctor's orders not to take long walks in the heat, and even if she weren't I wouldn't have let her come in the state she's in. I suspect she needs some time alone to pull herself together." Tony gives just enough of the truth to get Mick's full attention. He doesn't like trailing along like the second banana.

"What happened?" Mick spins around to face him, and Tony doesn't miss the way his hands unconsciously clench at his side. "I swear, Stark, if your damn stunt back there did anything to hurt her or the baby, then being an asshole - reformed or not - is going to be the _least_ of your worries."

"She's fine. The baby's fine." Tony rubs the back of his neck and wonders how to go about explaining this. "See, Pepper had this great idea this morning to have 'discussions' once or twice a day. As a way to slowly work through the issues we've been putting off until now."

Mick nods. "A good idea. You two have let so much shit compound over the last six months a little housecleaning is actually pretty healthy."

"Exactly." Tony makes sure to agree, hoping that Mick won't get upset, because he's pretty sure that the other man is going to know exactly how Pepper reacted to the subject of their _discussion_. "So I know you're not going to get upset when I made her tell me a little bit - just the tip of the iceberg, I'm sure - about her childhood."

Mick blinks at him for a moment. "You got her to talk about her mother?" His skin pales to a level that is somewhere between sickly grey and actually green.

"I'm not sure 'got' is the right word," Tony admits as he edges closer in case Mick goes down. "More like I didn't let her run screaming from the room when she wanted to."

Mick looks almost panicked. "And you left her home _alone_? Fucking hell, Stark, you're nuts! What in hell are you doing here?!" With that pronouncement Mick is turning back toward the main gate, moving at a speed that even for his height, Tony would have believed was impossible. The younger man wasn't actually walking, but he was moving as a clip that was downright impressive, with an almost canine like grace.

Tony couldn't see his face, but everything in the younger man's posture spoke of barely restrained panic. Mick wasn't upset anymore; he looked more afraid then Tony had ever seen the self proclaimed hippie be.

"She's asleep, Mick," Tony calls as he follows after. "After we finished, I got her to eat some oatmeal since that's what she wanted, she read a few reports, and fell asleep at her computer."

"And if she woke up while you were gone?" Mick isn't even bothering to turn around. "Do you _know_ what happened the last time she was forced to address the topic of her mom? Dad made her go to counseling when she was about fifteen years old. She _ran,_ Tony, and even though my dad promised to never push the issue again, we didn't know where she was for almost seven and a half _weeks_."

"All I know about her life after her mom died is that you took care of her." Tony catches up and catches the other man by the arm. It takes more strength than it would have a few months ago and once again Tony is struck by how bad he's let things become. "If she was going to go anywhere now, it'd be to you. And she's already at your house."

Mick shudders from head to toe, but he finally stops his retreat toward what Tony assumes is his parked car.

"You put her together the first time against her will," Tony continues. "She said enough for me to realize that. So it's no big leap to conclude that she came to you this time because she was either in the process of breaking or afraid she was going to."

"She didn't know I was _here_." Mick whispers under his breath. "She came here because it was the one place that no one would actually think to look." He shakes his head. "Her history's not in the files, Tony. Dad had her past wiped except for her birth certificate after she passed a company 'psych screening.'"

Mick doesn't sound like he is making a compliment. He sounds like he's pissed. He walks over and forces himself to lean again on of the parks massive trees, where he began consciously deep breathing.

"If she just wanted to be someplace you weren't, she could have gone anywhere," Tony points out. "But she didn't. She told me she thought you were out of the country. So she settled for coming as close to you as she could."

Mick groans a little, and closes his eyes. "You're not making it any better, Stark. I should never have stayed undercover so long. I was gone twenty-four months, and I never should have agreed to it. If it hadn't been a matter of Melly's _life_ I would have never..." Mick cuts the comment off cold.

Tony rolls his eyes. "You are an adult," he points out. "If you didn't have someone besides your pregnant, equally adult sister in your life I'd be worried." More soberly he adds, "And I know a thing or two about the things we sacrifice for those we love."

He's thinking about the Mark I chest piece and the Mark III suit, their incompatible nature, and how Pepper's life had essentially hung between them.

Mick just shakes his head. "Yes...well I've managed to be precisely useless to both of them. Ginny, I can barely keep afloat...despite the fact that _I'm_ the one who essentially trashed her life. And Amelia..." He shakes his head. "I'm not even going there until I have a hit of pot and a full bottle of whiskey."

Tony smiles tightly. "Considering your relationship with Pepper...well, I guess you're _never_ going there. What do you mean _you _trashed Pepper's life? Because I can think of another guy I hold more responsible for that consequence. Well, two actually, but everyone's been telling I've beat myself up enough."

Mick sighs a little, than stands up to his full height. "Never mind...I'm just shooting my mouth off, it's a form of tension relief." He looks Tony up and down. "You're sure...absolutely sure that she's at home and okay?"

"She was sound asleep when I left the house, I asked Jarvis to keep an eye on her, and I left a note taped to her computer screen. I'm pretty sure she's good. If there is any trouble, I'd also expect Jarvis to call me."

Mick nods again. "Then I'm going to believe you. The last things she needs right now is to start worrying about me." He sighs a little. "How did you and Pepper find out...about Amelia? I mean, I thought Pepper had cut all ties with the company..."

"Yum...yeah. Apparently she still knows someone and she called them when she got nervous last night..."

"Called? Tony, all the old phone numbers would have changed. The do like every two and a half months." He shakes his head. "The only way she would have managed that after the way she left would to be to _physically approach_ someone she _knows_ is another agent."

Tony's stunned, and for a moment he just looks at Mick in disbelief. But then he starts cursing loudly, and goes on for awhile.

"I am going to _kill_ Happy," he snarls as this time he's the one to lead the way out of the cemetery. "And then I'm going to kill Pepper." How long had the woman known that his head bodyguard was a CI-frickin'-A agent?

"Woah...hey _chill_ man! Who in heck is Happy? It could have been one of Dad's old friends here in town...there are several possibilities..."

"_Happy_ is my chauffeur and head bodyguard. Has been since shortly after my parents died," Tony snarls.

"And what makes you think he's your mole? Why in heck does that have anything to do with Pepper?" Mick is matching him stride for stride, as he approaches his car.

"Because Happy was the only other person in the room with Pepper while _I_ was chewing out the guy who wanted to report her to his CO."

Mick blinks several times. "Yeah well, I guess that would be called positive identification."

Damn it. Tony opens his car door then slams it again before whirling on Mick. "Let's say you're CIA," he says ironically, in his flat 'this is _so_ not funny' voice. "And being CIA, you position a guy near the genius son of the country's most valuable arms manufacturer. And let's say that son becomes an arms manufacturer and hires an assistant. Then a few years later the assistant disappears without a word. What orders would you give the guy watching the arms manufacturer concerning the assistant?"

"It would depend on the assistant in question and the reasons why they left. It would also depend on if any information was reported to have gone missing _with_ said assistant." Mick is now starting to catch up, and he holds out a hand. "Stark, this is my town. Fork over your keys."

Tony tosses them. "No information was missing, but several in development projects were put on hold 'pending investigation.' You have to understand, Pepper knows _everything_ about my company that I know. Hell, when I disappeared she did everything but _run_ it in name."

Mick goes very pale. "Does this Happy have any reason to doubt her, or to assume you'd try and prevent her debriefing?" He's heading toward the driver's door and opening it himself.

Tony laughs, but it's weak. "I think Happy was even more relieved to see Pepper than I was. And he has every reason to assume I'd prevent a debriefing since that's exactly what I did last night."

"Damnit!" Michael steps into the car and slams the door shut behind him. "Get in, Tony. Now _I'm_ going to kill her." He pulls out of the parking spot before Tony could as much as fasten his seat belt. "Path of least resistance, they were _waiting_ for us to both leave the house..."

"Shit." Tony pulls out his cell phone and hits the speed dial for Pepper. "Her phone must be off. I just got sent directly to voice mail."

Mick nods a little, tightens his hands on the steering wheel. He looks over and checks his blind spot, before moving over one lane. "Would she have been tricked into this blindly, or do you think she set the whole thing up deliberately?"

"Without telling one of us?" Tony asks. "You think she's really suicidal?" He calls Jarvis next, knowing for certain he'll get an answer from that line.

"Jarvis here..." The voice is slurred. "Sir, I am glad that you called...I seem to be having a problem..."

Tony pinches the bridge of his nose and tries to breathe normally in an attempt to calm his heart rate. "I'll get on it first thing...after Mick and I go get Pepper. Just tell me if you know where she is, Jarvis."

"There were...visitors to the house not all that long ago. They were not armed though, and no one seemed overly agitated...but my analyzing functions may not be as sharp as they should be."

Jarvis pauses a moment. "Mr. Hogan is here...he appears to be asleep on the couch. I will endeavor to wake him up and find out more useful information."

If Tony's certain about anything concerning Happy anymore, it's that Happy would never deliberately do anything to hurt Pepper. God, sometimes he thought Happy was under the illusion he was working for Pepper instead of Tony. So if Happy is at the house instead of with Pepper, then it's because he was physically stopped from going with her.

"Jarvis, I want you to initialize your firewall subroutines and block off as much of the damage as possible. Access whatever shortcuts are still available. Then I want you to connect with the main server at the house and download the emergency patches stored in the backup files. This is government work, so the patches ought to be more than sufficient to have you back up and running."

"Did they get to the house?" Mick asks from the driver's seat, and as Tony hangs up. He can't miss the growing rage that is building in the younger man's features. Michael Andrews isn't pissed...he's absolutely furious. And for the first time since they'd met, he can see something beneath the other man's eyes that actually scares him.

This isn't a hippie. This isn't a surfer. This is a cook only so much as he's obviously skilled with knives. This is a man who is shifting from laid back mode to front faced defender. And for the record, Tony's glad he's on _his_ side.

"Jarvis says that Pepper left with them and that no one seemed overly agitated," Tony reports, leaving out the part where his AI has also apparently been infected with a virus designed to slow down his processing.

Mick curses again and pulls out his own phone, touches one number and then hits the send key. "Wright, this is Andrews. Yes, _that_ Andrews. You just _hijacked_ my sister and I am very not pleased."

He looks over at Tony and grins with all his teeth. "Since tit for tat seems fair, I thought I'd return the favor." He smirks at Tony and speaks deliberately into the phone. "I have your wunderkind Stark and I plan to keep him indefinitely. So unless you want to try and hack his systems with the idiots from tech we both know can't handle it, I suggest you call me with a meet point. _Yesterday_."

And then he snaps shut the phone and tosses it into the space between the seats.

"I was worried that's what that smile meant," Tony mutters. "And how does this help Pepper? Since they've _always_ known where I am? Don't you think that was a little counterproductive?"

Mick shoots him a look of amusement. "I wasn't serious, Stark. That was Melly's private phone and she hasn't known how to reach me."

He grins again, even darker. "Yes, she may choose to share the message with some of the others in the office, but only as a last resort. This kind of act _isn't_ her thing...she wouldn't have drugged a guard and taken Pepper from the house without at least giving me a phone call. At _worst_, she would have showed up at our doorstep and brought her in personally."

"Which means?" Stark asks after a moment or so. He's beginning to understand the other man's motivations.

"That means this was done without her permission. And she's not going to be pleased." Mick actually sniggers. "Somebody down in holding is going to get their asses beat blue in about three more minutes. And the only thing that I regret about that fact is the fact that I won't be there to see it."

As if on cue Mick's phone plays a tune indicating he's received a text message. Tony picks up the phone and reads it. "Military claimed first rights. She's in transit to Fort Stewart. She says she'll meet you there."

Mick nods a little. "About what I expected. Text her back 'Pepper's pregnant.' I want her seriously good and pissed."

Andrews takes the exit for highway 55. "I don't suppose you have any valid ID with you?"

"Michael..." Tony purrs, though he's furious and almost frantic over Pepper. "The only ID I need is my attitude. I am Tony Fucking Stark."

Mick actually snorts. "Yee haw and big whoop! This is a military base and you're not wearing your damn suit." He actually starts whistling as he pulls up to the gate. "You know I really shouldn't be surprised. I mean look at you, Anthony... Six months alone and you totally fall apart. I bet before she left you couldn't even stir up enough brains to learn your social security number by heart."

"Yeah, well that was six months ago," Tony answers vaguely. "I don't suppose you know if Franklin's still in command here?"

"Last I checked...not that I frequent here often. I think my ID will get us both in." Mick pulls up to the gate and flips open his ID, shows it to the guard with a smile that's a little scary. "Yeah...we're here to see the Colonel. I don't suppose you'd mind pointing us in the direction of the damn MP station."

The soldier on duty blinks rapidly a moment, then his eyes widen as he gets a better look at the ID.

The guy stutters something about military procedure and needing to make calls. Tony just leans around Mick and raises a finger like he's calling a waiter at a restaurant. "Yes, hi, Tony Stark." The poor soldier's eyes look like they're going to fall out of his head. "Call Franklin, tell him not to worry about the bottle of booze he owes me, and then open the gate. Thanks." Tony leans back as the guy disappears into his hut to make the calls needed. Almost instantly the gate opens.

"What did I tell you?" he asks Mick. "Tony. Fucking. Stark."

"Show off," Mick grumbles under his breath as the MP waves them through the gate.

"Well, it was something like a five thousand dollar bottle of booze." Tony's grin is tight. He's itching for the sight of Pepper, and if she's not alright..."

"This is a military base, Stark." Mick speaks almost as if he's reading his mind. "And she's pregnant. I guarantee they'll have a doctor check her out almost the minute she arrives. Hell..." He checks his watch. "The poor sop is probably still in transit."

"You think I care about that?" Tony snarls. He know Mick won't get offended. "We're talking about the health of my fiancée and child. Do you think I really care that they'd be careful to check that their fucking idiocy didn't cause lasting harm?"

Mick shrugs. "Don't worry, Tony, you'll get your payback. Though I ask you to leave some for me. Though come to think of it," he tilts his head, "I would suggest you hold your temper. Because I guarantee that Amelia will be here within two hours, and _no one_ is as creative as her in dealing with people who need 'education.'"

The loopy, half-sentimental, half-'fuck yes' look on Mick's face is enough to momentarily distract Tony from his mounting worry, and he grabs it with both hands. He's not going to be any help to Pepper if he has another heart attack over this.

"She is going to take one look at you..." he warns as a military escort comes over to the car.

"Pepper? Forgive me if I don't shake in my boots."

"Amelia." Tony opens his door and the Stark mask is back in place. "Franklin! Good to see you again. How's it hanging?"

"Stark!" The man's booming voice echoes slightly in the boxed in visitor's parking. "To the left and slightly off center. Now what the hell are you doing here? I didn't even know you were in the neighborhood."

Tony crosses him arms and looks the colonel up and down. The man's posture is casual. Just a little too relaxed. "Yeah, well, I just heard the strangest rumor. Something about my personal assistant being arrested and brought here. Go figure, right? I mean, sure, Potts isn't moving too fast these days, but why should a pregnant woman have to?"

For a moment the colonel resembles nothing so much as the guard back at the main gate. There's a lot of blustering about "higher ups" and "procedure" and "security risks" and Tony just nods through the whole thing, looking bored and spoiled.

"Yeah, here's the thing," Tony eventually interrupts. "As far as I'm concerned, knocking a pregnant woman's bodyguard unconscious and then dragging her from her home while she's having health issues? Well, let's say Ms. Potts is the least your higher ups are going to have to worry about."

Franklin looks apologetic. What's more he looks pissed off. "Tony, I have my orders...I can't break them without being held for dereliction of duty. I can't bring her to you and I can't let you see her. I can however let her send a message or give you a phone call to let you know that she's all right."

When Tony steps forward - it's not even a step really, more like a shifting of his weight - Mick restrains him. "Tony, take the fucking phone call. Getting thrown in the stockade is going to do _nothing_ for Ginny's peace of mind," he hisses just loud enough for Tony to hear.

For a long time Tony is motionless, and then he gives a sharp nod. "Fine. I want to talk to her." The 'now' implied goes unspoken; it's in the tenseness of his muscles and the rigidity of his posture.

The colonel nods. "I'll set it up...and I'll give you one more concession. We'll move her to the admiral's suite in our lodging facility, I promise the Ritz won't look better than where she'll stay while she's here." Then the man is turning away from them, and pushing buttons on his phone.

Precisely a minute and a half later, Pepper's very pissed off voice is curling the skin of the edges of his ear. "Tony?" she demands, so angry she's practically in tears.

"Are you okay?" Tony speaks into the phone, feeling idiotic as he asks the question.

Pepper though, continues to try and burn of the outer surface of his ear. "Am I okay? Am I okay? They _drugged_ Happy, Tony, and they fucking did _something_ to Jarvis. I laid down for a nap and woke up with a pistol stuck right in my face."

After that the words got less rational and included more swearing. She said several things Tony was fairly sure were anatomically impossible.

"And my feet hurt because I've been standing up because there's nowhere comfortable enough to sit down, and this cell is hot and it _smells_, and I need to pee but the toilet is disgusting, and I'm hungry and nauseous at the same time and it's driving me crazy, and I want to go _home_!" And finally she stops with a few gasps that sound like strangled sobs, like she doesn't want him to hear. "I want to go home, Tony."

Anthony Stark growls in the bottom of his throat, causing everyone around him to step several feet back. Then he speaks into the phone, in a voice no one has ever heard from him.

"Pepper. _Pepper_. I need you to slow down and _breathe_."

"Okay," she whispers into the phone. "Okay." And he can hear her uneven, shuddery breaths slowing down as she instinctively obeys. She's heard this tone twice in her life. Once it kept her from walking in front of a speeding car when she'd been paying more attention to her phone than her surroundings. The other time she'd blown up a reactor on his command.

He can barely hear her anymore when there's a sudden spike in her breathing and there's panic in her voice again as she asks, "Are you still there?"

"Yes. And we're going to come to get you. We just need to cut through some red tape. Can you give us just a few more hours? Because these guys are being _dicks_." Behind him, Tony is aware that Mick actually splutters in laughter, but he continues on in that same tone, smooth as glass. "Now a man is going to come and see you shortly. His name is Colonel Franklin, and he's going to move you to a much nicer room. Don't give him any trouble...he's a friend and he's going to be our liaison until we can see you ourselves. If you need anything...and I mean _anything,_ all you have to do is ask. We will be there as quickly as we can, and in the meantime I want both of you to eat and then lay down and take a nap. I will make sure they send an fucking steak your way if I have to chopper it in from the city myself."

"Okay," she says again, sounding just a little bit lost. "Okay." She sounds more together that time and by the time she speaks again she almost sounds normal. "Tony, you have to call Rhodes."

That catches him off guard, and Tony blinks for a moment. "Fuck...I forgot he was even in town."

Pepper laughs from the other end, and it's a little bit hysterical, but also genuine. "I told you...I _told_ you, that you couldn't put off dealing with him indefinitely." He can hear her breathing on the other end of the line for a few seconds. "It's bad if they're not letting you in," she murmurs. "Only military personnel, then, and Rhodey fits the bill and he's probably got higher clearance than anyone here."

"Don't worry about it, Pepper. Mick's got it covered. The CIA people are already on their way. And if his Amelia is anything like what I expect, she's going to make the entire DoD cry." He feels his breathing begin to steady and his heart begin to slow. "And if she can't, I get the feeling she'll help us bust you out of here."

Pepper laughs, then sniffles. "Tony, it's so fucking hot in here. I feel like crap."

"We'll find a PX on base. Find you something cooler to wear. Do you need us to pick anything else up to send along with Franklin?"

"Well, since you're out of the question..." There's another sniffle. "Just don't get yourself arrested, Tony. Even if it would get you in here, I don't want to have to deal with the paperwork."

Tony actually snorts, finally starting to relax. "Don't worry about _me_. Worry about your brother. I'm the _definition_ of cool. He's the one who's turned into Rambo and told the CIA he's abducted me." Behind him Mick actually squeaks, and Franklin raises an eyebrow. Tony winks at both of them and waits for his lover's response.

"I don't suppose he was considerate enough to put you in handcuffs?" Her voice trembles just a little, but there's humor there as well as a weak attempt at flirting.

"Kinky, Potts. We'll discuss it later. Now be good and take a breather until Franklin gets there." And then he pauses, looks at the people around him, casts his eyes to the sky and murmurs, "Fuck." Fuck it.

It's the totally wrong time and the utterly wrong place. But then when has that ever stopped him before?

"Pepper, marry me." He says it deliberately...in front of the whole god-damn world and several of members of the Air Force and US Army.

"Of course I'm going to marry you, I've already said I would." Pepper is quick to reassure though she is sounding just a little confused.

"No...I mean _today_. As in I'll find some rings and we'll do it as soon as I can _get to you_." Franklin stares at him in disbelief and Mick raises an eyebrow in his direction. "What...we've been dating almost twelve fucking _years_...in my opinion that's taking enough time. The woman is going to marry me. Because it gives us both more legal rights and I'm tired of this shit."

"You're talking to Mick?" Pepper asks, sounding more amused now. "Is he alright with it? I mean you're basically talking about eloping…"

"Twelve _years_?" Michael raises an eyebrow in his direction. "My God that's pathetic, Stark...what in hell were you thinking?!"

"Mick's fine with it," Tony speaks into the phone and then he grins at Mick in unadulterated amusement. "Hey don't blame _me_...this is pretty much all on the shoulders of your sister. I mean can I help it if she's as dense as a rock and didn't know she was being courted?"

"Yes, how could I have missed it, you smooth talker, you." There's a sigh from the other end of the line before Pepper speaks again. "Provided you can get a license so it's _legal _- you could try and ask the chaplain."

Michael is leaning close enough to hear now, and he takes the phone from Tony's hand...

"In case you hadn't notice Sis, you're engaged to Tony. Fucking. Stark."

Pepper's laughter drifts out of the earpiece. "I see you've gotten a taste of what I've really been dealing with for twelve years," she says.

Mick nods again, shifting against the car. "Yes. And for the record I officially approve. Which in hindsight is probably crazy, but what can I say, it seems to work for all three of us."

On the other end of the line Pepper sniffles again, though she sounds much less upset. "He told you we're staying until after the baby's born, didn't he?" she asks. "I mean, if it's alright that we stay that long -"

Mick actually snorts in exasperation. "Virginia, don't make me strangle you, _you own half the house_."

"I don't want it, and you know I don't. I wish you'd buy my half of the damn thing already. Or let me burn it down." Pepper's frustration is evident.

Mick isn't budging. He's in therapist mode. "You think I want it either? It's necessary. It was the one part of you Dad's little records stunt didn't erase. You think I'm giving you up so easily?" He shakes his head. "No. You go to fucking therapy, and then and only then will we torch the thing in effigy."

"You mean that?"

"Absolutely."

"You _**promise**_?" Her tone gives away just how seriously she's taking his offer.

"Honey, I will pour the diesel and hand you the _match_."

Then Mick pauses and takes a deep breath, finally seems to actually step back into his brain for a moment. "Oh God...I called _Amelia_ an hour ago, I _so_ need to _get out of here_!"

"You can't!" Pepper protests. "If you do then Tony's going to get his ass arrested. Do _not_ make me deal with that, Michael. Not today. It was hard enough _before_ I got arrested."

Tony takes back the phone and speaks. "Pepper, if he as much as tries to leave before his Juliet arrives I will _tie him up_ and stick him in the nearest _trunk_."

Pepper sighs deeply. "Okay. And _you_ remember to get the license, Tony. I mean it. Thankfully Georgia doesn't have a waiting period." Her voice gets lower as if she doesn't want to be overheard. "I love you."

And then the line goes dead.

It immediate leaves Tony tense and nervous, because anything could happen to Pepper now and he'd never have a chance to get to her. And here he is, one of the most powerful men in the world and totally useless when it comes to protecting the woman he loves.

If this is any sort of glimpse at his future, he would almost say it wasn't worth it. Except that would mean distancing himself from Pepper again, and that would hurt even more than this does.

He can't do it.

Colonel Franklin speaks, looking halfway amused and halfway dazed. "Okay I sort of lost track...where are we going from here?"

Tony closes his eyes and resists the urge to hit redial. "I need Pepper someplace else, and if a doctor hasn't checked her out yet, then she needs one immediately. She's got diabetes and high blood pressure. She needs something to eat, _now_. And then I want her to sleep. No debriefings, just sleep." His first concerns are for Pepper's health and comfort. "Then, if a Colonel Rhodes isn't staying here, I want him here immediately. I know he's somewhere in the city." Rhodes at least would be able to get into the same room as Pepper and make sure she was properly being taken care of. Even if he couldn't do anything else, he could do that, and that's really all that mattered to Tony.

Colonel Franklin nodded at him seriously. "I'll go and bring her over to the quarters I mentioned as soon as I leave. In the meantime..." He pulls out his phone, "Let me put in a call to JAG. They can fill you in on the necessary paperwork and maybe hook you up with a Chaplain…."

Thank God. He'd almost forgotten, despite Pepper's orders. "You know what, Franklin, I might end up owing you a bottle of booze by the end of the day."

The colonel only shakes his head. "Like hell. I eloped myself twenty seven years ago. And my particular lady wasn't ready to pop and in a jail cell. Besides, you two obviously need the help, Stark. I mean honestly...twelve fucking years?"

Tony shrugs, starting to regret sharing that bit of information. He's got a reputation to protect after all. "What can I say? She's dedicated to her job, and until recently, only to her job."

Franklins laughs. "This is definitely a job for an officer."

And Tony smiles, from ear to ear, and reaches out to shake the other man's hand. "Two bottles. Of the good stuff," he promises. "But you have to leave now because I know Pepper's really uncomfortable, and it's killing me."

"We'll drink one at your reception." The uniformed man promises as he gets to his car. "Jeffs...Simone...you're with me. Thomas - make sure they find everything they need." And then he pulls out in his car and leaves Tony and Mick standing beside there on with one very wet eared newbie who's having the day of his whole fucking life.


	10. Chapter 10

"I'm telling you man, you are getting obsessive. _Pick something _already, because we're running out of time." Michael Andrew's voice was a little amused, but it was also slowly hedging into the outright annoyed. "Hurry it up, Stark. It's 1 pm and I'm _starving_."

"The stuff they have here is absolute _crap_," Tony tells him with a pout that was worthy of a bad tempered five year old. He looks at the woman at the counter. "You're seriously telling me this is the best that you _have_?"

The woman at the very least is unimpressed. She looks like a person nearing the end of a difficult shift. "Sir, we're a military base, not Tiffany's. If you don't like our selection, you're welcome to do your shopping elsewhere."

Mick looks at Tony, who frowns in response then turns a disturbingly charming smile on the woman behind the counter. "Please give him the benefit of the doubt, Ma'am. He's getting married in another two hours and fifteen minutes..."

The woman's eyebrows raise and Mick actually winks in her direction. "Yes... pre-wedding jitters. Apparently _everybody_ gets them."

"Yeah, well, we just decided to get married this morning. I haven't had time to actually shop yet." Tony glances over the selection again. If he can't have something _huge_, something that warns men off from at least five hundred feet away, then he wants something unique. And nothing here is really fitting the bill.

The woman at the counter looks vaguely more sympathetic. "Yes well Sir, I'm afraid that this is really all that we have. Most of the people who shop here are not at your socioeconomic level, though frankly that doesn't make their love any less." She holds up her own hand to reveal a simple gold band. "My husband put this on my finger before he left for Operation Desert Storm. And he's been trying for more than 15 years to make me swap it out."

Tony takes a hard look at the women, then at the ring. Well, that just pretty much confirms that whatever he chooses he'll be stuck with. Because while he isn't particularly nostalgic, he knows Pepper is.

He doubts Ironman would be able to get the damn thing off her finger.

"Mick, remind me that buying from a civilian would be a very bad idea right now since we're trying to duck media coverage."

The woman actually scoffs. "Sir, any woman who _would _sell you her ring is probably not a ring you want to have. I mean seriously, talk about negative Karma."

Actually, he hadn't considered that idea quite yet, but he supposed he was acting a little desperate. And he doubted he'd find what he was looking for at any standard jeweler anyway. Not only would they blab, but there probably wasn't much call for multi-million dollar engagement rings in Savannah.

"She's your sister," Tony tells Mick. "You pick something."

Mick frowns at him a little, then leans over the counter. "That is cheating, man...you're supposed to pick something either utterly perfect or completely inappropriate. What, I'm supposed to give you help in the first truly important decision you make alone in your whole married life?" He squints at the rings under the glass. "They're all a little classicalist for Ginny. I mean yes she is a classicalist herself, but she looks better with something deceptively modern...and none of these fit."

The woman in the shop sighs, "There are some kiosks out by the food court with local artists...you _might_ get lucky." She looks very put upon, like she's had to sacrifice commission to some loftier pursuit of good intention…or as if she can't wait to get rid of them. Tony's not sure which.

"We might be back," Tony warns. "When's your shift over?"

"I'm here until 2100 when the entire building closes." The woman shrugs a little and locks the glass case tightly shut. "Good luck in your search...and give your wife my congratulations."

"Thanks." Tony wanders out of the little store and into the rest of the complex. It really isn't much - a collection of shops ringing a central food court. However, he's antsy with the thwarted need to be at Pepper's side, and Rhodes still hasn't gotten back to him, and if he doesn't do _something_, he's going to go absolutely insane.

Mick sighs. "Come on, Stark. You need some food too, you know...they've got a Popeyes. We'll get chicken."

Tony's picking at his food when Rhodey finally responds to Tony's phone call. It's a measure of his concern that he shows up in person and out of uniform. "Tony," he calls when he's still at least fifty feet away. And Tony immediately abandons his food to go meet him.

Mick sighs in exasperation and picks up both trays. "All I can say is that it's a good thing I bought the eleven piece bucket." And then he's crossing the floor of the food court to where the two men are in an escalating conversation that seems to be centered on murder.

" - SOBs are going to find themselves under investigation for using unnecessary force," Rhodes is saying. "There was never any mention that Pepper might actually be _dangerous_."

"Of course Ginny is dangerous," Mick breaks in as he sets down their food. "Maybe she sat behind a desk when she worked for the CIA, but she knows how to take care of herself. Even without the hand to hand classes, she knows how to shoot, and she's confident enough to actually try to kill someone with her bare hands if she thought it was necessary. And if you don't lower your voices, you're going to get us thrown out of here." He gestures at the surrounding off-duty solders and airmen, at least half of them in uniform.

"Michael Potts," he says, holding out his hand. "Ginny's brother." Then the blonde scowls a little. "Please don't wind him up, he's getting _married _in less than two hours. And right now we need to make sure he eats and that we find a decent ring."

"No, right now Rhodey's going to go check on Pepper because he's the only one of us who can get in," Tony insists as Mick and Rhodes shake hands. "And he's the only one of us that I trust to keep her safe."

Rhodey blinks. "Wait...you're getting _married_?"

Tony sighs. "Great...now you're never going to get him to leave." He scowls at Rhodey. "Yes, and no you're not talking me out of it."

"Talking you _out_ of it?" Rhodes actually laughs in relief. "Tony, all you're doing is making me cancel all the plans I was forming that involved you, Pepper and a double barreled shot gun."

Tony blinks. "Then you approve?"

"Hell, yes. And I'll go find Pepper in just a few minutes...they're going to call my cell when my boss is done chewing out whoever needs to get chewed out to get me in."

"What about our deal?" Tony asks in a moment.

"Deal?" Mick is watching the two of them like it's some kind of tennis match.

"The deal was you wouldn't sleep with her unless it was serious, Tony. I think you've met that standard. Granted you're still a punk, and Pepper's obviously whacked..."

"Hey!" Mick protests. "Stop badmouthing my sister!"

"She's marrying _him_," Rhodes says, pointing at Tony. "If it were someone else's sister, what would you call her?"

Mick had to admit that Rhodes has a point.

"Great, so now we're badmouthing me," Tony mutters under his breath.

Mick shrugs. "Well yeah, Tony, you kind of make it _easy_." Then the younger man stops, literally right before he bites into a breast of chicken. "Oh Lord, I'm an _idiot_." He mumbles, and then he starts searching through his pockets.

"Now that I can appreciate...let's get back to making fun of you." Tony takes a drumstick up from off of his plate to start nibbling at the end, but then Mick beans him in the head with something small, dark and soft.

Tony picks up the small velvet bag that falls into his lap. He pulls it open and looks inside. "I thought we agreed your sister had first rights," he says as he shakes the contents of the bag into his hand. The ring falls into his palm and he examines it.

"I bought it when I was eighteen, Stark, and thought I'd give it to the women I loved. Turns out I was right, though not in the way I expected."

Tony looks up briefly. "Let me guess, it turns out the woman you fell in love with is nothing like what you'd wanted when you were eighteen." Tony knows a little bit about that himself, but he tries not to think about it much.

Mick shakes his head. "I couldn't have imagined the woman I'd fall for at that point in my life. Hell, I still can't most days...which is probably part of my problem."

The ring in Tony's hand is gold and silver, braided together in a perfect mesh of interlacing cords, with a simple diamond at the center. He looks down at it a moment and shakes his head.

"Are you _sure_...?"

"It's not like I'm going to need it." Tony narrows his eyes at the man across the table, but Mick only shrugs. "I'm sure about this, Tony. Just take it. If you're feeling guilty later you can take me out and help me find something new to put in the bag, just so I maintain my level of pathetic."

"You're both whipped," Rhodes says, shaking his head. "I'm not saying that _you_ in particular didn't need it," he says, pointing at Tony, "but this is seriously painful to watch."

Mick shrugs a little. "Shut up and eat your chicken. If I happen to be the only enlightened male at the table, well I'll turn you both to the dark side eventually." He shoves a spoon full of mashed potatoes into his mouth, eyes nearly rolling back in ecstasy. "God this is _so good_. I feel like I haven't eaten in weeks."

About three minutes later Rhodey's phone rings and the man gets up from the table to answer it. He comes back seconds later and holds out his hand for Tony. "I'm cleared. Anything you want me to tell Pepper?"

"Amelia is on route here. So she may see her first. If not, well she needs to try and stay calm...oh and make sure that she's been checked by a doctor."

Rhodey frowns, "I thought she was okay...didn't they basically just scare the shit out of her?"

"Apparently the last six months haven't done much more for her health than they've done for mine," Tony says quietly. "She's a high risk pregnancy, Jim." It's been years since Tony had used Rhodes's first name, but his constant worry for Pepper seems to warrant it now, just to ensure that the colonel is paying attention. "And if anything happens to her or the baby..." He tries to brush off his unease; it doesn't really work. "Besides myself, Mick, and Happy, you're the only one I trust with her."

Rhodes's face is sober. "I'll head over now. And if she hasn't seen a doctor, I'm taking her over to the hospital ER, and I'll call you from there."

There's a stubbornness in James Rhodes's expression, that is more of a relief than Anthony Stark can express. "I'm glad you're here," he admits a little quietly. "I...this makes us good. If you take my drift."

"Does that mean I'm finally going to get you in to your cardiologist?" Rhodes asks, but he sounds more exasperated than anything else. "You're getting married. Time to be responsible, Tony."

"Not the one you picked, no. But another, yes. One who will actually listen when I tell him my meds are making me crazy."

Beside him at the table, Mick snorts as he takes another bite of chicken. "Okay are you two both done with your little guest spot on Oprah Winfrey?"

"You're one to talk, Dr. Phil." Tony rolls his eyes and let's go of Rhodey's hand. "And you can tell Pepper just how much I'm looking forward to watching her brother demonstrate how to _properly_ manage a relationship."

"I don't want to know," Rhodes says as he turns around. "I'll call as soon as I talk to her."

Mick just glares across the table at Tony. "Okay, what have I told you about baiting me? Counterproductive."

Then he gets up from the table and strides across the courtyard and back into the women's clothing section. "Come on, Pepper's going to need at least one change of clothing.

Tony finishes his meal before following after. There's no point in arguing that he was just fighting fire with fire.

* * *

Pepper's not sure what's taking so long. It's an hour later than it was estimated that she'd be free to go, but she's still here. Even though she's had the chance to eat, shower, and change into the clean clothes that Mick found for her somehow - which she was unbelievably grateful for since she didn't want to get married in her pajamas - she's still fighting the sensation of being trapped.

Rhodes has been good company, probably the only reason she hadn't worked herself into a lather yet. The moment he'd come in, she'd had years of training used on her. Not military training, but the kind of training that came from reasoning with an unreasonable Tony Stark. It had bullied her into a short nap and more food than she'd really wanted to eat since she still felt like crap. He was also a pretty good at gin and he'd found a deck of cards somewhere about forty minutes ago when she'd threatened to start pacing.

Pepper was considering the cards in her hand when a loud commotion somewhere nearby distracted her. Someone, somewhere, was _pissed_, and clearly not afraid to show it.

Of course, her first reaction was to think it somehow concerned her, and not in any good way. That she was still here spoke for itself; clearly someone further up in the chain of command was not about to be swayed by Tony Stark's influence

Ten seconds later somebody flew backwards through the door of the bedroom and landed on his back on the carpet.

"I said we could do this the hard way, or the easy. But for the record, calling me 'little lady' when I'm already this angry, was a really bad idea..."

The woman who's just come through the doorway is actually rather small. Absolutely petite as a matter of fact. Not that Pepper's going to mention the fact, considering the scowl on the woman's face. She's practically seething at the man at her feet. "Oh, and for the last time I have executive level clearance, which means your CO can kiss my shiny white ass." Then she looks over at Pepper, smiles a little wryly and sort of waves her hand. "Hey there. Amelia Wright. Your brother for the record, is a spineless little dick."

Pepper very carefully lays her cards down on the table that Rhodey pulled up to the bed for her. "He's also my brother," she says carefully. "And only I get to call him that. Though usually it's the other way around."

Amelia rolls her eyes. "Don't worry about it. I'm still going to drag him to Vegas. Well, assuming he hasn't run _again_..."

She smiles then, relaxing, and striding forward, assessing Pepper carefully with shrewd brown eyes. "So...you okay? Because I need to know how long Crandall gets to be stuck in purgatory. Because I have to say I'm usually reasonable, but dragging my sister-in-law to be out of a house at gunpoint...kind of not okay with me."

And then her smile spreads into an out right grin and she extends a hand. "You can call me anything you like with the exception of Melly."

Pepper reaches out and is pleased to meet a grip that's sure but not trying to prove anything. "Does Mick know he's marrying you?" she asks as she pulls her hand back

"At the moment, no. I consider it an executive decision, because frankly the man lost his right to vote when he laid one on me and took off." She shakes her head then looks over at Rhodey. "Ah...sorry, I imagine this is a little bizarre for you to have to watch..."

"A little," he agrees, holding out his hand. "Jim Rhodes."

Amelia shakes his hand, and looks back at Pepper. "So for the record, has Mick actually told you how long he's had this thing for me?" She shakes her head. "Because I'm stuck with only partial information, and if I'm going into battle, I prefer to know the lay of the land before I fire the opening volley."

"I actually didn't know your name until yesterday, and I got that much from Hogan." Both women ignore Rhodey's sound of astonishment. "All Mick has said on the subject is that he was 'retiring.' Something about not having another choice. Well, that and he admitted he was already taken when I told him he couldn't have Tony. Am I free to go?" Because as much as she'd love to sit down and have a heart to heart with the woman who'd had such a big role in her brother's life for an unknown number of years, all she _really _wants is to see Tony.

Amelia shakes her head. "Not yet. I've got Edward trying to get a call in to the president...but it's near the weekend, and you know he gets busy."

Then the tiny woman circles the room. "Not bad I suppose...have you gotten anything to eat? Stress can affect your sugar levels you know...I usually carry around a small bag of candy."

She fishes in her pocket and for a moment Pepper thinks she's about to be handed just that, but then precisely two seconds later Amelia fishes back out a cell phone.

"Andrews? Wright. Yes, that Wright. We're at the temporary lodging facility right next to the hospital, now get your butt over here." Then she hangs up the phone and sits down in a chair by the bed.

"Lord, I am so going to kill him," she mutters under her breath. "I mean look at this, he has actually made me _shaky_..."

"Are you alright?" Pepper looks around and takes the bottle of water that Rhodes hands her. Now that she isn't angry anymore, Amelia's skin is pale and Pepper doesn't know if it's natural or a sign of something. "Are you diabetic? Because Tony got me more food than I'll ever be able to eat..."

"Diabetic, no. A little hypoglycemic. And I kind of forgot breakfast...things have been a little stressful."

Pepper resists the urge to laugh. Her brother is in love with a women with hypoglycemia? There was twisted fate and there was just simple irony... Rhodey meanwhile, is climbing off of the bed. "I think there's food left over out in the main room, assuming you didn't kick the table over." Then the colonel walks through the door, giving the two women some privacy to commiserate.

Amelia closes her eyes and rests her head back against the wall, and starts to mutter in a language Pepper doesn't recognize under her breath. "He deliberately upset you, didn't he?" Pepper asks. She remembers Tony's comment that Mick had told the CIA he was kidnapping him. And if Mick had worked with Amelia for long, he'd have to know exactly what buttons to push to produce a reaction. And if getting Amelia pissed off was what would be most helpful at the time…

"I was upset already when the briefing landed on my desk, but yeah...the little voicemail wasn't exactly helpful." Amelia shakes her head and opens her eyes, looking at Pepper with eyes that are agonized. "My God, for the last five months he's been completely off the map." She forces herself to stand, rubbing the back of her neck. "I suppose I should have seen it coming, he'd gone all quiet on me." Pepper raises an eyebrow and Amelia continued. "You brother used to be a regular Don Juan, and then suddenly boom...nada. Nothing. Not a woman for _months_."

The brunette shakes her head. "I should have forced him to talk to me...I mean the mission was bad...but how do you out shrink a shrink? I though he had PTSD, maybe... I was actually ready to order him on leave. I bought the man a damn _hooker_..."

This story is starting to sound all too familiar. Except Amelia's telling it from the other side. Pepper wonders again at Tony's willingness to set all of their crap, of HER crap, aside.

"I think Mick might be under the impression that you hate him now."

"I do. But without him...God, I don't know how to _be_." The brunette shakes her head a little. "Sometimes as impossible as something seems...you just have to do it. Because frankly the alternative...It simply can't be worth it."

Amelia sits, back down, blushing furiously. "My God, listen to me...I sound absolutely fucking crazy." She snorts. "When your brother comes in, I intend to kiss him and then strangle him. Because I mean just look...and just listen..." She runs her hands in a summary motion up and down her body. "I'm called the friggin Ice Queen at work half the time, and one kiss from your brother made a soap opera character out of me."

"Actually, you make a great deal of sense. Mick's not the only one in the family with the tendency to run. I just didn't kiss Tony first." Pepper leans back against the pillows on the bed and closes her eyes. "I feel like I ought to apologize to you since Tony won't let me apologize to him."

"Yes well, that's because it won't fix anything." A bemused male voice speaks up from the doorway. Both women turn to see Tony Stark leaning propped against the doorframe.

"Tony!" Pepper only manages to shift her weight onto her hips before Tony moves across the room to her. She grabs him and pulls him down for a kiss that quickly grows desperate.

Amelia watches this for several seconds, clearly amused, then looks back to the main room, and finds herself scowling. "Okay, where in heck is Andrews?"

Tony breaks the kiss just long enough to say, "Last I checked, hyperventilating in the car."

Both women stare at him in disbelief, and then Amelia snorts and shakes her head. "Typical. Just typical. If you both will excuse me." And she walks from the room.

"Tony..." When he just kisses her softly on the lips before turning his head to watch out the window that overlooked the parking lot, Pepper sighs and wraps her arms around him. He feels so _good_…though that doesn't mean he can't still irritate her. "You're enjoying this far too much," she mutters.

"Hell, yes. I consider it karmic equalizing..." Below they can see as Amelia marches out the door and across the parking lot. It take her about a minute and a half to locate the car they arrived in.

She's got Michael Andrews out of the car and pinned against the window before he can blink. And judging by the kiss she's laying on him, the younger Andrews sibling is going to be paying for a very, very long time.

"Just because they're better at coping with hell is no reason to be amused," Pepper says as she watches. After everything he's done for her, she wants Mick to be happy. And at the first sign of self-sabotage, she's going to return the favor and kick him in the ass.

Tony snorts. "I'm allowed to have a sense of humor. And whether you want to admit it or not, this is hysterical." His hands are mindlessly stroking the length of her body as he speaks, and one spot on her lower back first melts under the touch then starts to actually twinge...

She winces and his eyes narrow, but before he can say a word she cuts him off. "The doctor checked me over very thoroughly, and he said we're both all right. That being said, it's not unusual for pregnant women to get all cramped up, especially when they've been arrested." She rests her head against his chest. "You have no idea how happy I was to hear your voice, Tony."

"No happier than I was to hear yours," he tells her frankly. "So are we good to leave yet, or do I need to have the chaplain come here...?"

"This is just going to be a quick ceremony?" she confirms. When he nods she asks, "Then can we do it on the beach?"

He shrugs. "If the Chaplain is willing to leave the base...I don't see why not." He frowns a little. "It's hot as hell out though, Pepper. Can I convince you to stick with one of the air conditioned chapels and we'll do our reception out there instead?"

Pepper thinks about it. She _really_ doesn't want to be stuck in the heat for any amount of time. But still... "I used to go to the beach because it reminded me of home," she tells him.

He murmurs in understanding, pulling her close. "To be honest, Pepper, the beach is going to take so much to arrange...I don't want to waste the _time_." He shudders a little. "But if you really insist, we can try and make it there. I just can't promise we'd pull it off by the end of today."

He doesn't want it. For some reason, he doesn't want to get married on the beach, and she's not going to probe. "I don't want to make this stressful." Then she laughs disbelievingly. "Alright, any _more_ stressful." She looks up at him. "You're sure you want to do this today."

"I'd do it nine months ago if I had a time machine."

She looks up at him in confusion, unable to remember anything special about that time. It was in that brief lull between his blowing their world up with his Ironman announcement and her tearing it down with her cowardice.

He shrugs a little. "I figured it out. We were out on the patio and you were sniping me about a meeting and the reality of it all just slammed right into me..." He looks almost ashamed. "Pepper, I've known I was in love with you since the 28th of September."

Her chest contracts painfully tight around her heart, because if he'd _said_ something, or if she hadn't purposefully blinded herself, or had less to drink that night...

Two months. They somehow missed each other by a margin of two months.

"We'll get married today," she agrees. Because there's really no point in wasting time. He hadn't been rushed this morning when he'd agreed to marry her, and if somehow this afternoon had driven him to make it sooner rather than later, who was she to argue? The rights provided by marriage went both ways. "And if can just do the reception after the baby is born, that'd be fine with me."

Tony nods. Glances out through the window. "My God...is she ever going to let him up for air?"

"She's probably hoping oxygen deprivation is going to make him more reasonable. Com'on, Stark." Pepper pushes at him. "Let's go get this thing done. Besides, this place isn't a whole lot better than a prison."

"Wright!" Tony hollers, pulling open the window. "Get your asses up here before you two get arrested for public indecency."

"Tony, we're leaving," Pepper says in confusion. Then she remembers it's not as easy as that. Though Tony is here she's still technically under arrest. She groans and sinks back on the pillows. "God, I just want this day to _end_."

Tony shuts the window again and climbs back in bed, burying his face in her shoulder. "You're not the only one, Potts. For now I suggest call the Chaplain and try and get the others inside. We need to let Rhodey and Mick argue about who's going to serve as my best man."


	11. Chapter 11

The monstrous sectional takes up half of Mick's living room. It is something that he'd first acquired when one of his bachelor friends had gotten married and his wife had refused to live with it. Pepper understands the sentiment completely. It's the _ugliest_ couch she has ever seen. It's an odd, dried-mustard yellow and, as stated, _monstrous_.

But it's also incredibly comfortable...in an insidious sort of way. For now she's content as she leans back against Tony and he leans against it while they watch old movies and eat popcorn as a way to pass their 'wedding night.'

It's not terribly late – not even eight yet – but the day has been tiring for her in all ways, and her back is cramped even after a massage from Tony. Moving in any fashion is not something she plans to do, if she can possibly help it. In fact, the only motion she's willingly engaged in at present is the involuntary rise and fall of her chest as she breathes and the back and forth motion of her fingers over the gold band around Tony's finger.

She's still a little shocked to realize she's actually _married_ to him.

Not that it should surprise her. Not after the last several days. Her world has been a sort of bizarre twilight zone lately that started on the first morning they first met up on the beach. She'd forgotten while they were apart how things sometimes worked with Tony...

So meeting him again had perhaps had been fate, and earning his forgiveness had probably been inevitable.

Ending up his wife? Well that barely made a dent on her 'weird-shit-o'meter' anymore. So she contents herself to sit and rest, and let the world choose it's own course. She's trying not to fight the currents anymore, instead she is content to let herself simply ride them. At the moment, she is also allowing herself an equal amount of pride and fascination every time she touches his wedding ring.

It's gold and titanium alloy, and almost as eclectic as hers. It isn't a piece of jewelry that he would pick for himself, but now afterwards he has to admit that it fits him.

She'd gotten to pick his wedding ring because he'd forgotten to. He'd remembered to get a license, and he'd remembered her ring. He had even managed to arrange for a limo to take them home after Amelia got them clearance to leave the base – but he'd completely forgotten to buy a ring for himself.

It was an ironic, deeply telling kind of mistake that she didn't plan to let him live down anytime soon even if she already cherished the memory of getting the opportunity to find a ring that made her happy to give him.

She'd seen to correcting his oversight before they even went home. Even if it had meant dragging Mick and Amelia along with them, she'd made Larry stop at a jewelry store on their way through Savannah so that she could choose a ring for him, since he'd told her there was no chance of them getting a matched pair. Tony had been a little tight lipped about it, though given the way that he and Mick had avoided looking at each other, she had a pretty good suspicion that her brother knew more than he was telling her.

Tony had tried to tell her it could wait when she'd given Larry the address of her favorite jewelers, but she had told him that there was no way in _hell_ he was going back to the beach – or anywhere else for that matter – until she had him properly "leashed."

That had momentarily struck him speechless. It had also led to some interesting commentary from Mick and Amelia about…personal preferences. Something about Amelia not wanting to picture Tony with a collar and Mick threatening to bring up a trunk of some kind that she kept in her car if she didn't stop picking on the bridegroom.

By the end of that banter Tony had sufficiently recovered enough to throw in his own smart remark, though the look he shot her during one moment while her brother and presumptive sister were arguing was a pretty good warning she'd pay for her own little dig in interesting ways when he finally got her home to L.A.

'Gets me home...or drags me off on a proper honeymoon.' She's not totally blind to the mounting heat building between them. Granted she still thinks he's crazy... Because sex is currently the last item on a very long list in her mind. Still, Tony is Tony, and she supposes that sooner or later that subject is going to come up again and warrant a proper discussion. Just because her libido is totally inactive at present, doesn't mean she's against offering a little...well...doctor approved, baby safe relief to him.

She'd like to have a better picture in her head of that part of her life, anyway. Something to cover the bitter taste of Delaney.

But that's another topic, for another time. Today she's exhausted, and so is the man next to her. Tony hasn't complained of course, but she's still aware that whether he's vocal about it or not, his own health is pretty patchy at the moment. Point in case was the pizza box in front of them. Normally he inhaled large pizzas whole; tonight he'd had a slice and a half. Granted he had shown a far larger interest in the salad that came with it. She needed to remember to start shopping for and cooking what amounted to 'light eaters' fare. But he's eaten enough for now, so she revels in just teasing him, because it's been so long since they've been able to do this: to relax and tease and torment and be carefree.

"I can't believe you forgot to buy yourself a ring," she says again as she reaches for some of the air popped popcorn Mick had made. It'd been a way for him to stall going anywhere alone with Amelia, but since it hadn't worked Pepper wasn't going to complain.

"Yeah, well I can't believe you forgot to mention that you were on a first name basis with the President." Tony's voice interrupts her thoughts. His tone also makes it clear that he's a little disgruntled by this topic. Though, that might have been because the call from the White House had come in the middle of the ceremony – right as the Chaplin asked if there were any objections to the marriage, in fact. "When you said that your choices after leaving the CIA had been either working for me or helping to run a small country, Potts, I didn't know that you considered the United States _small_."

"Campaign manager. He wanted to hire me as his campaign manager, and you can't keep calling me that anymore you know, it's not my name." Well not her whole name, she self corrects. She'd chosen instead to hyphenate.

She'd half expected Tony to protest that, but for some reason he hadn't really. Perhaps he understood far better than she did the need to face up to the past.

Tony meanwhile is still pouting. "Just tell me how he knew that not only were we in the process of getting married, but why he wants us to fly up and have dinner with him sometime next month?"

Tony looks either suspicious or paranoid. Maybe both if she admits to how well she knows him. It's a little amusing really, when she considers the fact that he usually crows and preens for weeks when he gets to visit the White House not to talk policy, but just to whip the Leader of the Free world's ass at golf. She sighs and reaches over to poke him in the ribs. "I hate politics, Tony. You have no idea how much I totally _hate_ _politics_. So stop your pouting."

She is reasonably certain that this meeting is nothing more than the president's form of offering personal congratulations. And if it wasn't? Well she would be going on maternity leave soon, and she already had what amounted to a more than full time job.

She shifts, trying to take some of the pressure off the small of her back, ends up twisting so more of her weight is on her side, groaning a little as she does so. There's something a little odd about her today. She supposes the added weight is once again playing havoc with her center of gravity. "Stop obsessing okay, Stark? I have no regrets with the choice I made." Then she stiffens and looks up at him in accusation.

"You let us get married without a signed prenup," she growls in disbelief. Tony just stares at her in disbelief for a moment. Obviously, out of everything that's happened today that Pepper could justifiably get upset about, this hadn't even occurred to Tony.

Still, he collects himself quickly, becoming the picture of an aggrieved male. "You bet your ass I did. You were in _jail_. There's a clause somewhere that states you being imprisoned negates any other previously agreed upon preconditions we'd shook hands on."

He sighs then and rubs a hand down her spine, trying to get her to calm down. "I understand that you worry about how it looks. I'm even trying to care." He shrugs, "I suppose if we're really cagey we could bribe my lawyer into backdating something. Hell, by that token, if you really like we can tell everyone that we have been married for six months now and everybody can assume you went into hiding because after we figured out how we felt about each other, there were concerns about the safety of you and the baby."

Yeah, nothing about _that_ will come back to bite them in the ass. Pepper thinks about the situation for a moment. "We'll need to talk to Gary...Larson," she adds in case he's forgotten his lawyer's name again. "But we can probably file a post-nuptial agreement, which will satisfy your board at least. And it has less chance of coming back to haunt us." The board was still going to freak, she knew, but at least she had some clue how to deal with that.

The ironic thing is she thinks most of the board will probably be relieved once they calm down and process. After all, they have always counted on her to keep Tony Stark afloat. And once they realize that this marriage means they don't have to worry about her quitting ever again, she suspects most of them will start sending incredibly garish and overly expensive gifts as a sign of their complete relief.

'Wedding presents. Dinner invitations.' There'd be a veritable cornucopia of well wishes, along with a thousand and one vicious news stories. Though the fact that she's currently pregnant might actually cause as much of a stir as the wedding, if she doesn't miss her guess. The speculation will be rife, and the paparazzi will be ruthless. And as much as she hates it, she's going to have to go pay another visit to a man named Mark Delaney.

Considering how their last meeting went, she's not sure how that's going to go. Yes, the man had demanded she give him a promise in writing that she wouldn't reveal the lineage of her baby in exchange for his 500,000 in silver, but that was before she'd actually married to his boss. Like it or not that changed the situation.

She's afraid to know if those changes will hinder the man who showed no interest in parenthood, or present him with what most immoral men would call a 'business opportunity.' The thought is enough to make her stomach knot. Enough to make her want to ask if it's possible for them to just relocate to Copacabana.

She loathes herself for the cowardice that thought implies, but she can't seem to shut of the part of her that feels that way, no matter how much she tells herself that she's not reacting logically. It is funny, how hard she's tried to avoid the thought of that night. But even with a good two drinks under her belt to dim her recollections, there are certain things she can't really wipe from her memory. She remembers the taste of that first kiss, when she'd known something wasn't quite right. And she looks back in regret at the way that he'd laughed and sworn and roughhoused just playfully enough that she had been confused about whether he actually liked it violent, or just wanted it dirty.

She remembers waking up alone and being relieved. And she remembers more than adequately the sheer number of _bruises _she'd had on her body not just one day but for the rest of the week.

Either way this is not a subject she ever wants to discuss with Tony.

"So we're agreed then. We'll go ahead and get a post-nuptial..." She's glad that Tony can only partially see her face, because he's gone on talking, apparently totally unaware of her darker thoughts. "When we get back I'll be playing extra nice with the board, and I'm thinking that if we get extra help so you don't get overwhelmed, we should throw a set of at house barbeques for the people working in R&D." Tony pauses a moment, then draws a deep breath. "That leaves us with one issue Pepper, and that's how to deal with Mark Delaney."

Pepper stiffens a little in his arms. "Tony, I suggest you leave that matter to me. I am guessing one sit down conversation will make him a complete non-issue."

The look Tony gives her in return is a perfect blend of amusement and exasperation. "I'm serious," she insists. "If we try and do it with all three of us you're just going to end up hitting him or something when your macho 'you just insulted my woman' side gets riled. And you can't get yourself arrested for at least three or four years or you're not going to have to worry about playing nice with the board of directors because they're all going to have heart attacks."

"Pepper, if you think for a moment I am letting you handle that guy alone, you're _psychotic_. The fact that he's not even tried to be in contact despite the baby's existence only _proves_ he's a creep. I can hold my temper if I have to, and if I start steaming at the ears, well you can just make me hold the baby so my hands aren't free to hit him."

She pictures that, imagines Tony cradling an infant in his arms. Or working at a computer with one hand while holding their child against his shoulder with the other. And she...she _likes_ it. A lot.

"Eventually someone in these baby stores we're going to have to shop at is going to recognize you," she murmurs as she relaxes again. "We're not on the West Coast, so it might take longer, but I don't know how much longer we're going to be able to stay incognito. Unless you let Mick and I tackle it. Then we'll probably have a chance at maintaining our cover."

He shakes his head and reaches out a hand. "Pepper, like it or not, I am now officially a family man. The press may roll over in the graves, but they will have to learn to cope. And they will also learn to treat us all with a modicum of respect, because if they don't they are going to be rapidly made to understand that I'm a friend to the press because I _choose to be_."

She smiles and nestles her head against his shoulder. "You know...it makes sense. You being a family man. Not the white picket fence part, but having kids and being hands on with them." The only part that doesn't quite click into place in this scenario is her part in it. Somehow her self-image of a woman dressed in a business suit with a bluetooth headset in one ear and coffee in her hand doesn't mesh with the family scene she imagines him in.

"I like kids. Or I used to, when I was a little younger. Their attitude is very refreshing, compared to a lot of the people I've met. Besides," he smirks, "name me one adult who'll spend eight and a half hours beating super-frogger with me." He shrugs. "You and I will be a good tag team I think...with the whole parenting thing, I mean. Because you've got tons of patience, and you know when it's time to push and when it's time to back off and let people just be who they are." He shrugs. "Of course it will change the dynamic, but we'll figure it out, and Jarvis will help." Tony actually laughs. "Do you know that he's already started downloading child-psychology textbooks? You need to seriously fear that this kid's best friend is going to end up a self-assessing computer."

'Just like its father,' she ruefully thinks. "At least we're not going to have to worry about a baby monitor," she teases, though she's still thinking about how her life is going to change.

"I really am going to have to train a replacement, you realize that?" she asks him. In one way she's about to become his twenty-four hour assistant, but she's also not going to be able to fill the position she's held for the past decade.

She's never going to be just his P.A again, and though she is slowly coming to grips with it, it doesn't mean the thought doesn't make her occasionally melancholy, and just a little weary.

He nods a little. "You'll need assistants to help you, both when you're at home and in the office. But Pepper, being a mom doesn't mean you have to give up your whole life...just that you'll have to open up a few new doors in it. You love math and you love helping people, and this kid will benefit from watching both of his or her parents do the things that they love."

He reaches out then and cups her chin gently. "Pepper, I know you're afraid of repeating the past...or that your mom made you unprepared for this role, but the truth is you've always been a natural nurturer...and unlike your mother, you're not enchained to drugs, or trying to make it alone." He kisses the side of her head gently, and slips his arms around her waist. "You'll do just _fine_ and we'll be happy, if you just remember to talk to those who love you and stay in _balance_."

Pepper still flinches at the mention of her mother, but instead of withdrawing she presses closer. His arms tighten comfortingly around her and she tries to accept that Tony is going to keep doing this, keep referencing her past at odd moments. Not with the intention of hurting her, but he's always been like that, has always accepted and admitted to the past and then moved on accordingly.

Silence falls between them until the movie ends. Then Pepper stirs and pushes herself up because if she doesn't she's going to fall asleep.

"Tired?" He reaches out to catch her hand. "Because we really should feed you one more time before you sleep." The comment is rote - almost from memory - and though his hand is unconsciously caressing hers, his eyes are still halfway fixed on the TV. She wants to chuckle there in that moment, because she realizes that now Tony, like Mick, is feeding her not out of conscious decision, but preprogrammed instinct.

"I'm not going to have to eat this regularly in another couple months," she reminds him softly. "What in heck are you going to do to fill up these empty moments when that happens?"

He turns both eyes toward her with what is clearly undisguised amusement, and she finds herself blushing to the roots of her hair. "Never mind," she murmurs to herself. "I don't think either of us need to answer that statement." This is already turning out to be a distressingly ordinary night, despite the privacy they have and their newlywed status. Technically, there's no medical reasons stopping them from having sex, but she's just wiped out. A bed figures prominently in her future plans, but only as a place to curl up and sleep.

She shakes her head at them, then replies to his earlier comment. "I'm really not particularly hungry. I actually have a bit of a funny stomach." She rubs the lower slope of her belly. "I think I ate something earlier that didn't agree with me."

Tony frowns at that. "I knew we should have stayed away from seafood. The lobster bisque was awfully rich, even if it was tasty." He stands and comes to wait behind her, circling his hands around her queasy belly. A moment later he frowns down at his hands. "Pepper, that wasn't a belly quiver, that was a _cramp_."

She shakes her head. "I was probably just on my feet too much. I don't think I sat down once between arriving at the fort and your phone call. And then after your call I didn't manage much better until Rhodey got there. He finally bullied me into sitting. Told me I'd been spending too much time around you because I was usually sensible."

"What did the doctor say about this? Or were you not having these specific symptoms when he was actually there..."

"_She_," Pepper corrects him, "visited before it really started, and she said I was _fine_...though she did say that my blood pressure was borderline and that I needed to watch out if I started getting dizzy or spotting. And I'm not dizzy. Just tired." She glances up at him over her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I know it's probably not the wedding night you were imagining..."

"Pepper, I don't give a shit about..." Her belly tightens under his hands again, and this time he frowns at the movement more then a little suspiciously. "Pepper, that felt less like a cramp than it did a contraction...how long have you...if you're in pain, why didn't you _tell me_?"

"I'm _not_!" she protests, "I just have a little backache. Nothing like what it should be if what you're insinuating is actually _true_." He doesn't look the least bit convinced. She sighs. "I'm _uncomfortable_," she stresses. "But I'm not in pain. And I _am_ seven months pregnant, so being uncomfortable isn't anything new."

"Have you had any spotting?" he asks her bluntly. And she winces a little in embarrassment, but he remains undeterred. "This is _serious_, Pepper. Since the doctor asked you start looking for signs have you been paying attention?"

"Yes, I've been looking." She rubs her forehead. "Just because I've been... bewildered...doesn't mean I don't care. But there hasn't been anything."

She sees him wince, and his eyes fill with apology. "I didn't mean to imply otherwise...it doesn't change the fact I worry." She can see the struggle on his face. "Pepper...I just...I really, _really_ think you should give your obstetrician a ring and see if he makes house calls."

Pepper sighs and concedes, because if she looks at this objectively, it's a silly argument to have. Tony is just concerned for her and the baby, and fighting with him about it might actually hurt him. He's supposed to be avoiding stressful situations as much as she is, which neither of them has managed so far today. So therefore the risks of not calling outweigh the benefits.

"Alright. I'll call Dr. Whitman." She knows she's chosen wisely when she sees the relief on his face, and for some reason that makes her chest squeeze a little tightly. He takes such pleasure in protecting those he cares for, and despite of this he calls _her_ the mother hen.

"Can I at least go use the restroom first? Because I need to." Tony just smiles and kisses her forehead. "I've got Dr. Whitman's business card in my wallet. Will you find it for me?" she asks as she heads for the first floor bathroom.

He nods. "You can tease me for being paranoid later. I just don't want to take any chances at all after a day like today." And then he leaves her in doorway before the heading down to the counter in the kitchen where she last laid her wallet.

Tony is able to wait about thirty seconds before he gets impatient and just calls Whitman himself. He's on the phone with the doctor, trying to explain the day they've had without actually saying anything about it, when Pepper comes to stand beside him.

"Tony?" He looks a little sheepish as he hands over the phone. Once she takes the receiver she hears Whitman chuckling on the other end.

"I understand congratulations are in order...did you two really get married, or is he just trying to weasel privileged information out of me?"

"No, I actually married him. I love him and the legal rights it gives both of us were attractive." Pepper's throat is tight and she's doing everything she can to keep Tony from seeing her face because she's pretty sure he's about to panic. "Listen...if Tony hasn't already explained the situation, today's been really stressful. _Really_ stressful. So can you meet us at the hospital? Because I think I might be going into labor."

Whitman nods. "I'm all for that option - it never hurts to be careful. My night has been slow and if nothing else it will allow me to make my congratulations in person. I can be at the hospital in about fifteen minutes. Is that a reasonable timeframe for when you can meet me?"

All Pepper can think is that she's grateful that he sounds calm. It helps her stay in control. "When I say I might be going into labor...I think I'm having contractions and I know I'm spotting. I just checked and the amount has increased considerably."

Whitman's breathing quickens slightly, but it's the only sign that he's nervous. "Has your water broken? If not we probably have a decent chance to slow it down yet."

"No. It hasn't." Pepper still can't bear to face Tony, but when she holds out her hand he takes it in a grip that is merely firm, not the tight grip she'd expect from panic. "So I guess we'll see you in a few minutes." She hangs up the phone and turns to the man beside her. Tony's eyes are a little wider than normal, but he's doing a remarkable job holding any visible emotion but determination back.

"Which hospital do we need to head for?" he asks after he exhales deliberately, and digs into his back pocket in search of his car keys. He picks up his lightweight coat and begins guiding her toward the door.

"Memorial University." Pepper grabs her purse and her cell phone. "I'll call Mick on the way. If he just comes back and we're not here... Well, I'm sure you can imagine."

Tony laughs, though it's a little forced. Mick and Amelia had ceded the house in favor of a room at the Hampton. Or rather Amelia had decided they needed privacy and had dragged Mick along. Judging by how shell-shocked Pepper's little brother had been, he'd been pretty pliable - for the moment at least.

"Amelia might actually kill me for interrupting them," Pepper agrees. "Because she was either planning on getting laid or she planned to personally extract one of his kidneys." She has to concentrate to still her trembling hands. "Okay...we need to get into the car now." They close and lock the front door.

Just before they reach the passenger door, Pepper feels a rush of fluid, and Tony curses as her water breaks.

"Jaguar or ambulance?" he asks her after a moment, holding her up almost completely, since her knees have nearly given out.

"Depends on how fast the ambulance can get here." Pepper tries to smile but she's really starting to panic now. "God," she moans. "This can't be happening. It's too soon."

"Too much stress...that or Junior just got antsy." Tony tries to keep his voice light as he frees one arm and uses it to flip open his cell phone. "Hello...emergency...? I've got a woman in premature labor. Her water's broken and she's having contractions..." He rattles off their address. "What's the wait on an ambulance?"

"Can you hold on for three minutes?" he asks her after a moment.

"I think so." She flinches as she feels another contraction. But it's the first since she's gone to use the restroom, so she tries not to worry more. "Though I won't complain if they get here sooner."

"Stay upright or lay down?" She supposes they are fighting gravity. The knot in her stomach is getting tighter and tighter and she realizes she feels ready to puke. 'Shouldn't have eaten' some part of her analytical mind says. 'Women in labor are supposed to stick with ice chips and sucrose saline drip during labor, even if they are hungry.'

"I would have done so if I'd _known_ I was in labor." She must say the latter words aloud because they've earn her a very funny look.

"Down," she says. Besides, there's less chance she'll puke on his shoes that way. He stoops and catches her under her knees and around her shoulders and she's surprised by the easy way he seems to take her weight. "Tony, it's to soon...I'm not ready for this. If something happens…you have to promise...take care of the baby."

He shakes his head as he carries her to the house. "You and the baby will both be fine. You made it into the last trimester."

"Barely, Tony. Thirty weeks is considered premature." She holds onto him as he sets her down on the couch. "Actually, anything less than thirty-seven weeks is considered premature. And we're a long way from thirty-seven weeks." This is her fault. If she'd taken better care of herself... If she'd been able reduce her stress... If she just hadn't run in the first place...

"You'll both be _fine_," he says after a moment, and she has a hard time telling if it's stubbornness that drives him, or just well directed fear.

He gets her inside and sets her down on the couch. "Go upstairs and get me a change of clothes?" she requests when he steps away and runs a hand through his hair. He looks so helpless then, but she's relieved to give him something she knows will be useful to do.

She can hear the sirens before she hears Tony's feet on the stairs. Apparently three minutes was a pretty good estimate. Then she can see the paramedics through the open front door and as she waves weakly she says, "My husband's upstairs..."

The EMT is just checking her over when Tony comes down the stairs. The woman whistles. "My _gosh_...this little one is in a _hurry_ to join the world."

"Too much of a hurry." Pepper's eyes go straight to Tony and she tries to relax enough to take a deep breath.

"We'll get you to the hospital in two shakes of a leg ma'am," says the woman's partner, a tall, grey haired man with a ponytail down his back.

Tony rattles off all the important details, "She needs to go to Memorial. Her obstetrician's already been contacted. Her brother and sister-in-law to be are going to meet us there." He presents her with a neutral colored jumper that the technicians can easily help her slip over her head, as they remove her sopping stretch pants.

'My, don't we have the growing family,' Pepper thinks as she's transferred onto a gurney. What she says is, "You called Mick?"

"Upstairs. They're on their way. Knowing Amelia she'll clear out the entire first floor in preparation for our arrival. Oh, and I also called and left a message for Rhodey."

His smile is tense but genuine as they roll her out to the waiting van. "What did Mick say?" she asks. "Because if it was anything like 'I told you so,' I am going to have to hurt him."

Tony doesn't tell her the truth, which is that Mick is so near to panicked that Amelia had finally had to forcibly extract the phone from his grip and get directions to the hospital herself. "He's bitching about baby names...said he told you that you should have picked them out. He says Michael will not be an acceptable substitute just because you got lazy..."

Pepper laughs and breathes through another contraction, if that's really what it is. There's not much pain, just...discomfort. "He wishes. If he's lucky the baby might get Michael as a middle name if I can't come up with better." She holds onto Tony's hand as the ambulance eases into motion before rapidly picking up speed. "You know, out of the times I've thought I might be in an ambulance, it was usually because I thought _you_ were going to need one."

"Yeah well that will teach you to get overconfident," Tony teases gently.

She just keeps her eyes on his upside down face. The siren on top of the ambulance is loud, louder than she thought it would be. "What do you want? Boy or girl?"

"Girl," he admits a little impulsively. "Though I can't quite tell you why. I mean, I'm a _guy_. She's going to make me want to move us all to Antarctica when she finally hits puberty."

Pepper laughs breathlessly. "I believe that's known as karmic justice, Stark," she whispers up at him.

"Yeah, laugh it up. How about you: boy or girl?"

"I don't know. Just the concept of 'baby' has been enough of a struggle for me. And right now I'll settle for healthy."

Tony nods, looking over at the EMT, who is feeling Pepper's blood pressure with a steady hand despite the movement of the vehicle they're in.

"So...I take it this is you two's first baby? How long did you wait to start trying after you got married?" It's an innocent question...and probably meant as just small talk; so the poor woman has absolutely no idea why they both start to laugh hysterically.

"Tony proposed this afternoon," Pepper finally manages to spit out. "We didn't see a reason to wait on starting our family."

The woman just looks at them like they've taken leave of their senses. And they laugh even harder. "We've been dating for twelve years," Tony finally adds. Of course, Pepper pinches his thigh _hard_ for that, because they've never actually dated at all by anyone's standards but his.

The grey haired man beside her shakes his head, snickering softly. "Why do I have a feeling you two could tell one hell of a story."

"Since when is employment a synonym for dating?" Pepper asks Tony under her breath as the ambulance starts to slow.

Up ahead she can see the doors of the ER. "I bought you lunch three times a week, scared off all the other interested men and let you drag me around by my ear on at least one occasion. Oh and I lived with your PMS without complaining on a regular basis, If that isn't dating, Pepper, I would really like somebody to tell me what _is_."

"It usually involves the knowledge of the other person for one thing." Before she can say anything about his 'scaring off' prospective men the ambulance doors open and they're moving and Pepper's relieved because hospitals are good and she's starting to move past discomfort into something that might be pain and she doesn't want her baby's health damaged any more than she's already managed...

She's scared. Above everything else she's scared because she hasn't prepared for this at all, for any of it, and now she's having her baby and there's no more time to get accustomed to the idea or prepare herself or any of those things she'd kept telling herself she'd do 'soon.' And she wonders if it were the same for her mother, if the woman had been anywhere this scared. Anywhere this unprepared for the reality that was coming.

"Ginny!" And then she hears her brother's voice, and like a blink that moment vanishes. Because unlike her mother, she has a man holding each of her hands, now. And she still feels free. No matter what happens, she is not, and will not ever, ever face what is coming alone.

"For your information," she tells her brother, "even if I _had_ been considering names, I wouldn't have considered yours because the world does not need two Michael Potts in it."

And Mick smiles, back, a grin that lights up the room. "It's Michael _Andrews_, sis...we would have been different. But if you want to pass on greatness, well who am I to stop you?"

"Actually, I believe the last name would be Stark," Tony interjects. "And I agree that one Michael per family is enough. Nice to see you again, Amelia. Sorry for the interruption, but it's been that kind of day."

Amelia rolls her eyes. "Is it always this kind of circus? Because I have to tell you, you make my family look _tame_." They follow the gurney as it's moved through the ER and down a long narrow hallway.

"Like _hell_," Mick shoots back as he releases his sister's hand. "Your clan is a bunch or argumentative Irish Catholics."

"Yes, you'll all fit right in," Amelia tells him smartly, before turning to Pepper. "So girl to girl...anything I can help with?"

"Keep _him_ calm," she says pointing at Mick. "I don't know how many people they'll let in the room -"

"Pepper!" As if the conversation weren't crowded enough, they manage to pick up Dr. Whitman on the way to wherever they're going. For a brief moment Pepper feels like she's actually back at the office, trying to solve the chaos created by something Tony's done. Except this time she's flat on her back and Tony isn't technically 'responsible.'

"Hi," Pepper says to the doctor. "As you can see, pretty much everyone came as fast as they could. Sorry."

The nurse pushing the cart starts giving out information. "According to a preliminary check, she's at nine centimeters and near to crowning. We're all headed straight to delivery."

Whitman whistles. "Well I suppose that tells us everything we need to know about whether this kid wants out by c-section today."

"I'm only at thirty weeks," Pepper disagrees. "I can't be giving birth. I haven't even taken Lamaze classes yet."

"I hate to disagree, Pepper, but this baby _is_ coming now. Also, Lamaze is for women who intend to stroll through their labor. I told you this baby would be an athlete." They reach the doors of an elevator and there's not enough room for the whole group. In fact, for a moment both Tony and Mick pause, as if there's going to be a discussion about who gets to go up with her.

"You're got to be kidding me," Pepper moans. "Stark, ass in here now. Mick, I'll see you upstairs."

Amelia reaches out and slaps Mick upside the head. She points at Tony and says, "Husband." Than she whacks him again and points at Michael. "Annoying little brother."

Then she hauls Mick backwards, calling out that they'll meet them upstairs shortly.

The elevator closes as Pepper braces against an even stronger wave of pain. "Oh!" She slips her hand out of Tony's and squeezes the railings of the gurney as she manages a few sharp, shallow breaths. And then it's over and she relaxes into the thin mattress. "Okay…_that_ was a contraction." She feels Tony's hand on her face and she tries to smile up at him but it's hard because the apprehension is growing because no matter how calm everyone is, this is _bad_. Babies aren't supposed be born early, and it's happening too fast for her to even really process, and all she knows is that this is _wrong_. She doesn't want this because…

Because right now she's completely ruled by her instincts of what is safe and what is right for her baby, and this not it. This is not it and she can't help but feel guilty. This is just another repercussion of what had led to this pregnancy in the first place and it's her _fault_. Her baby is in danger and it's because of _her_.

"Pepper, I know you never took Lamaze, but we need to give you a crash course. The best thing you can do for you and your baby right now is learn how to control your breathing. Hyperventilation will lead to poor oxygen circulation, and if you're crowning now then doing this naturally is actually better than a c-section." Her obstetrician's voice is calm. A port in the storm of fast growing panic. She wants this all to stop. She wants to be home and on the couch and eating popcorn. She wants more time to process.

"Is it to late to do an injection of...surfactant?" She thinks that's the name of the drug she was reading about earlier during one of her many weekly screenings.

"Surfactant?" Tony asks quietly. He's obvious not familiar with the word, but he's trying.

Whitman explains. "Premature babies often have immature lungs. Surfactant is a protein that gives they lung tissue more elasticity. It makes it easier for them to breathe." Tony nods a little, and the doctor looks to Pepper. "Under normal circumstances I'd have put you on steroids when you first showed signs of labor, but there simply wasn't time. Yes, we do use surfactant on a certain number of preemies, but to know if this one needs it, we need to start by getting him or her out and into the world."

"Right. Right." She lets Tony peel her fingers off the railing as the elevator doors slide open again and they're once more on the move. "Don't leave me," she whispers for him only, because she is scared but she knows, just as she knew that morning on the beach, that Tony will be here for her if she only asks. And so she finally asks.

"I'm not going anywhere." He tightens his grip on her hand.

The next few minutes are hazy, more than Pepper can really process. She's aware of the gurney moving again, and of a wide set of double hung doors. Inside the room they take her to the lighters are dimmer, and the inclined bed they take her to is a welcome relief. She's aware of a changing chorus of voices, and of soft playing music as someone puts a tube with oxygen under her nose, and an IV in her hand. She flinches a little at that, but all she's really aware of his Tony. He's still gripping her other hand and talking to her soothingly, a low babble of useless information...

"I don't have a name," she finally whispers in panic. "What kind of mother am I going to be if I don't even have a name?"

"Pepper..." Tony smoothes her hair back out of her face and fastens it with a hair band with a dexterity she's surprised by. "You're not the first parent to not know what to name their child. Just try to relax, Potts. We're going to figure it out together."

"I've always liked Aaron for a boy, myself," one of the nurses says conversationally. "It means 'strong mountain.' Not a bad beginning for what this one will need to be."

"Aaron." Pepper tries the word on for size. Then quirks an eyebrow up at Tony.

"Aaron Anthony Stark? Kind of long winded if you ask me."

"Anthony?" she asks, almost amused. "I was thinking Michael. After all, you _are_ getting Stark." They're both oblivious to the looks the nurses are exchanging, the not-so subtle smiles.

Tony laughs. "I was thinking Aaron James, actually. And we can make the next one Savannah Michelle. I mean come on admit it, your brother is cool, but sometimes he's just too fucking girly."

"James?" Pepper asks before she tenses with another contraction. She tries not to squeeze his hand too tightly, but she can't squeeze the other one much at all because of the IV so she ends up using more pressure than she'd intended. She ignores the comment about Mick because she knows it's probably true.

"Sorry, sorry..." Her hand goes limp in his after a few seconds. "You were telling me about James." There's still all sorts of bustling going on in the room that she's mostly trying to ignore until someone tells her exactly what to do.

"Well for one it would guarantee us a free babysitter - namely Rhodey - and for another..." He shrugs. "That was the name my mother liked the best for a boy...before the test results came back and proved it was a girl."

"You play dirty," Pepper tells him. "You win. Though I think that it's going to take more than a middle name to get Rhodey to babysit. The man is a bachelor."

"Rhodey's a sap. Have you seen him with dogs? Way I figure he'll be pretty much the same with kids."

"Okay, Pepper." Whitman interjects before Pepper can lay into Tony for comparing their child to a dog. "At the next contraction I want you to push. And time is of the essence so don't hold anything back, give everything you've got to this one."

Pepper's eyes immediately snap to the doctor and she nods. Her breathing becomes shallow as she waits and tenses up from the apprehension that washes over her again. Tony has to actually instruct her to breathe in and out until the contraction comes and she pushes down, leaning back hard into the hands that push her up.

And she really can't imagine a more undignified position to be in, but it doesn't matter because she knows there's no going back and no holding back and what's best for her baby _now_ is to be born.

Tony's still telling her out to breathe, though he's only echoing someone else in the room, but it's his voice she hears the clearest and so she listens. Then the contraction passes and the rest of the room comes back into focus as she gulps down deep lungfuls of air.

And Aaron James Stark comes wailing and wet into a welcoming world.


	12. Chapter 12

"Andrews, you need to take a load off before you hurt something."

It's not the first time Amelia says something to that effect, but it is the first time Mick appears to actually _hear_ her. She suspects his attention is less a matter of proper listening than it is of her _forcibly_ using her tone and body to get him to pay attention.

Her partner - soon to be lover? - hell whatever he is, is slowly going to pieces right in front of her. Point in case: the growing track in the carpet. If Michael doesn't stop pacing soon, she's afraid he'll put a hole in the floor.

She supposes she can just kiss him again as a way to stop him in his tracks, but if recent events are any indication, that's a tactic she's going to have to use as an absolute last resort...

She uses her 'boss' voice and prays like hell he'll react to it on instinct. "Mick, put your ass in a chair."

As she says that she deliberately steps in his personal, because if there's anything she knows about Michael Andrews it's that his sheer physicality is countered by the amount of respect that he holds for all women. Hell, the trait is part of the reason they'd first _met, _she acknowledges wryly.

Four and a half years ago he'd been going up a flight stairs to the Seattle main office she'd been running down it, and he'd physically stepped into her path to try and catch her when she'd tripped over her own feet and gone tumbling,.

Unfortunately he'd _also_ been inured at the time, with two fractured ribs and a sling on his right arm.

'Heaven forbid it stop him from trying though.' On the day he'd woken up in recovery after, she'd given him all kinds of hell for trying to be what she'd called a 'stupid fucking hero'. He'd been drugged to the gills, but he'd still told her that she should shut up and learn to be a little grateful.

The assistant director in charge at the time had laughed his ass off and told her they had finally found her a worthy field partner. Albeit Mick hadn't known her reputation yet at that time.

'God, was that actually almost five years ago?' It seems impossible to believe that it has been that long. Looking back on the person she'd been verses the person she is today – well the progression is astounding.

She's more stable. She's less angry. Hell she isn't even that bad at being an administrator when she has to, though she doesn't have his natural affinity for people.

She'd finally figured out that she was a better player in a _team_.

Looking at the man in front of her now, it's a little eerie to realize that. Not because she resents it but because from her perspective he's directly responsible, and yet she's beginning to realize he never learned that lesson himself.

The man in front of her hasn't changed a bit, well except maybe on the surface. Before they'd started working out together at the same Dojo Mick's main version of staying in shape had been to run almost ten miles each day. He's bulked out considerably thanks to their regular practice of lifting weights..

He still prefers to run though, and that's an irony that hasn't escaped her attention considering more recent events. These last few weeks though, have it clear though that he's not so into the cohesive mentality.

And looking over their history now, she has to wonder if he ever really has been.

'Apparent laid back extrovert turns out to be a passive aggressive little shit: more news on this stunning breaking story revealed at eleven.' She's going to have to learn from her past mistakes now though. The brilliant criminal profiler is about to get profiled by the slightly idiotic amateur who'd been working with him for ages.

She can almost hear Mick's voice in her head. 'What do we know about the subject at the moment? Well he's 32. Extremely gregarious. And as it turns out a very good bluffer. He will talk about everything but what he doesn't _want _to and he appears to be subtly self-destructive at present.'

She supposes some of that fear due to Pepper – his sister and her child are both in serious danger after all, and he's never enjoyed being helpless.. Still, it can't _all _be the threat to Pepper that's making him this agitated, because she's seen Mick before and during crises not unlike this before. And they'd never caused him this kind of distress.

The alternative stimulus is obvious but a lot let palatable. 'You screwed up, Wright. When you first saw him you _completely_ screwed up.' Because while pinning him up against the hood of that car and kissing the shit out of him may have gotten the point about her feelings across, it hadn't taken into consideration _his_.

And _her_ feelings weren't the issue ones in issue at present.

'He's barely looked me in the eye since that meeting in the parking lot.' And no, the occasional moments of sparring banter in various cars doesn't count. Mick spewing bullshit, after all is basically the same as Mick _breathing_. He can babble for hours and never say a single word with any meaning. For that matter, he is incredibly _good _at using verbal thrust and parry as a means of _diversion_.

His ability to verbally dance around issues has made him a legend at work. He can actually outwit the _director _seven times out of ten.

'And he's doing the same to you right now, Wright. Point in case...two hours of talk about everything in Savannah but the situation with him and his sister.' Though at least Mick's fear for his sister's well being had finally made him pick up a phone and call in backup when he needed it.

She hadn't expected that, she acknowledges wryly. Instead she'd anticipated that if she and Mick were ever going to have a reckoning, it would be because she'd physically tracked him down and forced him to spill his guts.

And for the record, she'd assumed that sex would play no part in it. Because like it or not sex was the _last_ thing they needed to be distracted by at the moment. Because she knows now that Mick's capable of using it as a weapon.

'Walking Sex God. Withdraws when offered true emotional intimacy. Loves to shower the people he cares for with affection, but tends to run when offered a reasonable amount of reciprocity.'

She's talked to a couple of his flings both at the CIA and in the civilian world, and at this point she's getting a pretty accurate picture. Certainly accurate enough to know that if she wants a real relationship, then they _can't _just have sex.

Which is depressing. Because for her it has been almost _two years_. And that five second kiss that he'd pinned her with six months ago is _still _turning her on based on merely the sense memory.

'Tough shit, Wright. Suck up and deal with it. This isn't really about _you _at the moment.'

This is about the man in front of her, who's literally falling to pieces. This is about the fact that he is probably completely gone on her and he has been hiding it for God knows how long while it caused untold amounts of damage.

This is about why he's never _said_ anything about how he really feels, and why she's been too self-absorbed to see it. Most of all, though, this is about how she is going to deal with what she's always halfway suspected...

The man who she's in love with is_ completely fucked up._

'Who in the hell are you anyway, Michael Tate Andrews? _You_: and not the guise you put on?' She knows Mick Andrews, of course. Hell, _everyone_ at the office knows Mick. He's the brilliant profiler who shouldn't even be out in the field anymore, because there's no one else on this side of the country that understands the criminal brain better than him.

He's also the obsessive-compulsive cook who feeds people like it's some kind of addiction.

'Coping method, probably in retrospect. You don't know him, Amelia. Not really at all.'

The thought grates on her nerves terribly, when she considers just how long she's known him.

While she's been musing, Mick's gotten up out of his chair and started his pacing again. He looks like he's in hell, and it makes Amelia miserable to look at him. "Andrews..." She sighs when he barely even acknowledges her. "_Michael_." As he turns to start a new circuit of the room, Amelia steps into his path, moving with him when he tries to step around her. "Hey, this is _me,_ here. We used to be able to talk, and it's got to be less painful that watching you pace the room like a tiger."

The frustration in her partners eyes is frighteningly physical. "Mel, no offense but the last thing I want to do right now is _talk_. So unless you have a Dojo in you back pocket where we can spar, Wright, just let me pace and blow off some steam. Because I need to be do _something _or I'll go_ insane_."

Why is it that every time she tries the same excuse on him he threw her ass in the nearest chair and pulls words out of her until she is exhausted – well that or he drags her down to the Dojo and spars the entire story out of her. Of course whenever she _did _talk he'd always rewarded her with either a fabulous home cooked meal or a plate of milk and cookies.

'Speaking of food...' Amelia pats her pockets down because it's looking like it might be a long night. She comes up empty. "Damn it," she hisses as she remembers the sandwich bag of lemon drops sitting on a table still back in the hotel room. "Mick, I need to borrow a dollar if you have one."

He raises an eyebrow, then checks his wallet. "You're out of luck. All I have right now are twenties."

She wrinkles her nose. "So...do you think that the vending room has a change machine? Because I'm pretty sure the gift shop is closed at this hour."

He blinks a moment, processing the question and then he reaches out and smacks her lightly on the back of her head.. "You forgot to eat. Amelia, you're _hypoglycemic_. Hard candies are _not _a food group. How many times do we have to _have_ this damn conversation?"

Amelia rubs the back of her head as she glares at him. "They work just fine in a pinch. And if I hadn't spent dinner chewing out the idiots responsible for that fiasco this afternoon, then maybe I would have gotten the chance to eat, Mick." She sighs and rubs her head again – she's getting a headache. "But I've been a little busy ever since they stuck me with the job that they meant to give to you. Which by the way is why I'm refusing the resignation on my desk"

Mick's hand comes up to cup her neck, thumb digging into a knot she had scarcely realized was there. "Being in charge of other people is no excuse not to take care of yourself, Mel. Have you ever heard of leading by example? And you don't have a choice, Mel. Unless you plan to lock me up in the basement."

"Don't tempt me." She doesn't get to come up with a sarcastic reply, though, because with those words he's grasping her by the sleeve of her light jacket, hauling her out of the private room and into the general waiting area. There are perhaps five other small groups sitting in various places in the maternity holding area, and when they reach the main room he starts looking around. He spots a nurse sitting at a low lying table.

"Hey there Ma'am" He smiles his most winning smile. "My friend here's hypoglycemic and we got called here on a family emergency - my sister's in labor. Could I maybe beg off a sandwich or an applesauce, something to keep her sugars from crashing until I can order us a pizza?"

Amelia sighs in relief as Mick's worry is at least temporarily rerouted. She hadn't planned this, but she should have seen that giving him a _fixable_ problem might help.

However, she personally takes insult to the use of the term "friend."

She takes mental note to raise _that _subject later as she accepts the fruit cup and package of peanut butter crackers the nurse scrounges up. "Thank you," she tells the nurse, though her eyes dart away to include Mick as well. The nurse is busy sizing up her partner, and Amelia may be paranoid but she knows lust when she's seeing it aimed in Mick's direction.

The man might be in love with her but he is still subconsciously sending out those stupid vibes that draw in every single woman on the planet…along with an not insignificant portion of the men. She swears she's going to tattoo 'taken' on his forehead.

"Mick?" She gets his attention pretty easily. "I'm going to go sit down now. Order pizza, but will you please remember that I hate black olives this time?"

He frowns, then takes her arm "Are you safe to leave alone while I go out to the front of the building? Because I can stay up here to make call if you're going to pass out on me while I'm gone."

"I'll be _fine,_ Andrews, just go order already." She very carefully steps out of his touch, avoiding his eyes just as carefully as she turns to go back to their room. He's confusing her. Because he'd kissed her first, and he'd responded when she'd kissed him that afternoon. But then he's also been careful to remain as far out of reach as possible without appearing rude ever since.

If this weren't so damn important and relevant to her as well, she knew she wouldn't be struggling so much. But every time he tries to put a little distance between them it makes her want to close the gap. She just doesn't know what she's _doing_ here, and that's absolutely terrifying when she considers how much is at stake for the both of them.

Amelia moans as she curls up in a vinyl armchair. She's so shitty at this, and her head hurts, and it's not like Mick's doing anything but running on impulse anyway... While he's out of the room she tries to put herself back together again so that she can deal with him when he comes back.

It's a almost impossible task, because the food Mick found is scarcely helping. Her brain knows her body needs the sugar but the crackers are dry and stale and the fruit cocktail is cloyingly sweet.

"I will not puke," she informs herself firmly, because if she does and Mick finds out about it then her butt is so going to end up in the ER for the rest of the night.

Her partner has played hardball with her on the subject of her medical condition on several occasions - the most notable being the day she'd suddenly become so annoyed at him that she'd actually _clocked him_ in the middle of one of their off-hours sparring sessions. He'd followed her into the women's locker room and physically sat on her while he got a blood sugar reading in retaliation.

The resulting reading of 32 had landed her in the hospital overnight, and him on her couch giving lectures about 'balance' for three weeks. "Not helping," she mutters at herself, because she knows that he's never spent three weeks on anyone else's couch. Maybe that long in someone's bedroom in the middle of an intense fling...but never without sex to keep him there.

"Still not helping." She needs to get her head on straight and just chill out. Another few minutes and the food she refuses to puke up will actually start working. She abandons the fruit cup and nibbles at the crackers as she stands on a chair to turn the volume on the news up. She also changes the channel to ESPN because if she doesn't get _something_ to distract her, she's going to drive herself crazy.

Luckily there's the tail end of a baseball game on. The Mets vs the Dodgers. She's finished adjusting the volume and is about ready to climb back down off the chair when the door swings open and she sways just the tiniest bit on unsteady feet.

"Okay. Climbing on a chair when you're already dizzy. Kind of stupid for the record." Mick steps up close, setting his hands on her hips. "Down you go, Wright. Nice and easy."

"I'm fine," she mumbles as he lifts her down. She learned long ago not to fight him when he's in this mood, but he's also not helping her get her mind back on track. She's intensely aware of his hands - their size, their heat, their strength - and so she immediately discounts her impression that they linger a little too long as a result of a quickly growing and unhealthy obsession.

As soon as he lets her go, she puts the room between them again, not even bothering to hide the maneuver this time.

"Amelia, sit down." His voice is calm and authoritarian.

"I'll sit down when I want to sit down. And 'for the record'? I'm not dizzy, I just have a headache."

"What's you blood sugar level?" he asks her sternly. "And I'm going to kill you if you tell me that you left your glucometer in your other jacket."

Amelia shoots him a dirty look, but doesn't say what's on her mind. Specifically that he's probably been driving his sister crazy for the last six months or however long she's been with him if he's always this over-protective. She's got him distracted from Pepper for the moment, though, and she'd really, really like to keep it that way. "Try my other desk. Something came up this afternoon and I kinda rushed out the door without it," she snaps at him, though she does sit down. Because pushing him right now probably isn't a good idea either.

He curses and digs into his own back pocket. "This is the best damn purchase that I have ever made." And then he's kneeling in front of her massaging the tip of one finger.

Amelia pulls her hand away and holds out the other one expectantly. "I can do it myself, Andrews."

"You're shaking, Mel...but if you have to be that damned independent..." He slaps the glucometer into her hand and unzips the case it was stored with the other. "Lancets are on the right. The testing strips are already loaded, push the button at the bottom of the machine to eject one."

He doesn't move away – instead he just kneels in front of her expectantly...and...and...

Amelia's dimly aware that she's frozen in her seat as she stares at him, but she is having a hard time doing anything about it. He sighs. "Yeah I pretty much thought so." Then he plucks the glucometer out of her clenched fist and reclaims her finger, reclaiming the shaking hand carefully…

"I'm not shaking because of low blood sugar, Mick." 'Oh god, I did _not_ just say that _out loud_!'

She has though – and she can see it on his face. It is in the way that he blinks repeatedly before he starts to retreat.

His face grows a little impassive and he starts to pull back. And that pisses her off – she reaches out and grabs his shirt front, shaking him slightly. "I've had enough of this Mick. Just make up your damn mind already!"

Mick pulls away from her entirely then, and Amelia doesn't even bother cursing under her breath because he knows her well enough to know exactly what she's saying. She watches him retreat to one corner, and she stays in hers, and they both try to calm down and get a grip. "The pizza should be here soon," Mick says, as if he's composed. He's not facing her though so she knows he's not.

"Stop bullshitting me, Andrews. I get that you're having a really hard time right now, but you're not the only one. Because I'm sitting here watching my friend in pain and apparently there's nothing I can do to help him."

"If you want to help, Mel, just give me a little fucking space." His voice is tired and resigned. She absolutely loathes his current aura of defeat.

"I'm trying!" She tightens her hands into fists and makes the attempt to calm down again. "Mick, I understand that you've always been a physical person, and yes, I've never given it a second thought before. But that was before you _kissed_ me. Because now I want you to touch me now and every time you do, I want to take it further. Do you understand? I'm trying not to push where I'm not welcome because I respect the hell out of you. But you've got to help me out."

Mick finally turns to look at her, and the exhaustion on his face is as genuine as his apology. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

There's a huge dichotomy of emotion on his face at that moment, need, lust and longing mixed with liberally with pain and regret. Because he does love her. She can see it all on his face, he loves her so much it's nearly crippling him...

But his tank of answers is empty. For the first time since she'd met him, she's not the more vulnerable person in the room.

He's not trying to shut her out. He's just trying to survive this night.

Amelia looks at him for a long time, trying to decide what to do. There are things between them that have already been put off too long due to her ignorance and his deliberate avoidance. They've made it this far, even if it has crippled them, but she doubts that their problems can be solved in a few hours anyway.

Besides, she's afraid that if she pushes him too far right now, he'll break. So she holds out her hand like an olive branch. "I'm going to try to behave," she tells him when he doesn't come closer. "We can try to just be partners right now, if that's what you need. I'm not going to let this slide between us forever, though. Sooner or later we're going to need to talk, but it doesn't have to be now, or even this week."

The relief on Mick's face is palpable. "That's all I'm asking. Because we still don't know if... if Pepper and the baby..." He chokes on the words, shoves a fist in his mouth.

Then he looks up with raw desperation in his eyes. "She's all I've _got_, Melly. They're that's all that's _left_ of my family. I know you don't really understand that feeling with all your brothers and your dad still at home, but..." He can't continue. Instead he simply squeezes his eyes tightly shut.

"Why didn't you ever talk about her before?" Amelia asks as she tries to keep her outstretched hand from trembling. "From the little I've seen of her, she's extraordinary. I'm surprised you haven't been bragging on her for years now."

"She doesn't like to talk about the past. I've always tried to respect her wishes about that." He doesn't directly answer the question that she actually asked, but on some level she understands the connection. "You have different mothers right. But you have the same dad?"

Mick flinches at that, and alarm bells go off in her head. But then he nods, and she forces herself to continue. "You know, I hadn't really taken Pepper as a private person. Although," Amelia shakes her head. "I could be basing that on the fact that she married a man with no privacy at all. And _you,_" she points her finger at him before letting her hand drop. At least they've moved past the blood sugar test. "It wasn't even in her records that you two are related. I had to hear it from some old timer passing the breeze at my desk. 'Yep...'" she exaggerates. "'I see Bob's girl finally snapped. Always told Andrews it'd happen eventually. After she punched Dickerson like that...'"

"Dickerson was a dick. And few people know we're related. She's not in the business anymore and I prefer to keep her away from this part of my life..."

"Any reason for that?" Amelia asks him carefully.

He shrugs. "Because she's already had enough shit to cope with in her early life."

More sirens in her head – though maybe these were less klaxons then they were a gentle pinging. There was definitely more here, even if this wasn't the time or the place...

"Mick, did I ever tell you that I was a preemie?"

That announcement brings his head up suddenly and he stares at her in sheer disbelief.

"I came at twenty nine weeks. It's half of why Dad's so overprotective. Though for the record, right from the beginning I've had a habit of holding my own." She steps forward then and lays a hand on his shoulder, squeezing the muscles encouragingly. "Pepper's got great doctors and a husband and brother who love her, and judging by the gene pool this kid is coming from good stock."

Mick shudders. "I just...all I want is for both of them to be okay."

"They will be. Just have a little faith already." Her voice is soft and a little chiding.

Mick raises his head and looks at her with a look of such loss it nearly takes her breath away. "Mel, that's something I haven't had for years now. Don't ask me to bet on something that's basically extinct."

Her hand runs down from his shoulder to his arm and she interlocks his fingers with hers. "They're finding supposedly extinct animals every other day, Andrews...don't you read the Smithsonian? Now come on let's go talk to the nurse. They should have an update by now."

* * *

Mick and Amelia step through the double doors into the recovery ward, only to be nearly run over by a distracted and nearly frantic looking Tony Stark. The man looks both flustered and torn, and when he sees them his face lights with visible relief. "Thank God, I was just coming to find you. I need...they're taking them separate places, and Pepper wants me to go and sit with Aaron but I don't want to leave her alone..."

"Aaron?" Amelia raises an eyebrow. "Is that with an A for a boy or a girl with an E?"

"A," Tony replies, running hands through hair that's already disheveled. "Aaron James. Four pounds, seven ounces. Sixteen inches long. Screaming bloody murder. The doctors took him to the NICU. Pepper wants me to go get an update. I want you to go sit with her. She's..." His hands run through his hair again. "I don't know. I've never seen a woman after she's given birth."

"What room is she in?".

"Did she lose a lot of blood?"

Mick and Amelia each ask a question simultaneously. Both men look at her with identical expressions of shock; clearly neither had thought to consider the possibility.

Amelia merely shrugs. "As I was telling Mick, I was a preemie myself when my mom delivered. After I was born my Mom needed two units of blood hung pretty much immediately."

"I don't know." Tony pales and turns back towards the hallway, clearly looking back in Pepper's direction. "I was paying attention to Pepper, not really to the doctors during the delivery. I think they did say something about some blood loss concerns, but we were more worried about the baby…"

"I'll go find out," Mick reassures him. "Right now you'll have better luck then me actually getting news about how Aaron's doing. That makes you the best person for the job." He reaches out and claps a hand on Tony's shoulder. "And by the way, 'Dad,' congratulations."

A brilliant smile lightens the severity of Tony's face, driving the weariness away for a few seconds. "Thanks. She's in room 358," The two men exchange one more quick nod before Tony hurries down the hallway. They watch him disappear through a door labeled simply 'NICU.'

"That man is in trouble," Amelia murmurs to Mick as they watch him depart. "He's got one body and yet he's wrapped around two different fingers."

"Yeah, well that's why he's got family. To help pick up the slack." Mick starts toward the patient rooms, hurriedly consulting the signs to try and determine which section of the maternity floor his sister is actually in. He's so flustered by the stress of the day that even after they find the right unit he manages to walk literally right past Pepper's door.

"Mick." Amelia uses her hand to tap the number on the doorway.

The brunette blinks for a moment, then back tracks to where she is, breathing in deeply as he pauses outside the in preparation to enter. Then he exhales very deeply and puts what appears to be a genuine smile on his face. With a second he's dismissed all tenseness from his face. He looks for all the world like a completely different person.

Someone completely in control in this time and this space.

Sometimes Mick terrifies her, he really does. Because she knows that he's still just as worried as he's been for the last couple of hours, and probably will be until he's had time to convince himself that Pepper's fine. Yet he still looks absolutely normal. Perhaps she shouldn't be beating herself up too badly about not seeing how he felt about her after all.

Mick meanwhile, steps through the door, with a smile and a gentle but almost jovial voice. "Congratulations, Ginny. How's the new Mama doing?"

The 'new mama' is pale and more than a little frantic herself, propped up against the inclined head of her hospital bed. A little of the fear in her eyes actually leaves when she sees Mick in the doorway, though, and Pepper smiles, albeit with a wavering grin. "Michael. My baby has red hair. I thought it would be dark."

"Yeah well genetics are strange, sometimes." Amelia smiles as she comes to sit by the bed in a chair. "My parents were both musically talented and I'm completely tone deaf. Dad used to make jokes about the mail man all the time."

For some reason this makes some of the color in Pepper's face drain. Then she seems to shake it off and her eyes move to Mick. "Did you see Tony while you were out there?"

Michael nods. "We ran into the man in the hallway when he was on the way to the NICU. Aaron James, huh? I guess that ought to do." Mick sits on the side of the bed, and takes his sister's hand. "How are you doing? Are you feeling all right?"

Pepper's nose wrinkles. "I'm tired and dizzy, but I'm also really irritated. I want to see my son again but they insist I can't move until I've had another unit of blood. The problem is, they're having trouble finding my blood type with the right RH factor. They're out of it down in the lab and there'll be no more available until three hours from now when the blood bank makes its usual delivery." In the meantime she's trapped here, and Pepper simply loathes it.

"A blood transfusion, huh? Wait a minute, Ginny, aren't we...compatible blood types?" Mick reaches into this back pocket for his wallet. He fishes it out and starts going through the small cards that are in it.

"Oh for goodness sakes, Mick. You should have this stuff _memorized_. Especially in your line of business. What blood type are you?" Amelia asks Pepper after a moment.

"A-negative," Pepper answers. "Or that's what the doctor told me a few minutes ago.".

"Then you are compatible yes. Mick here is O-negative, the universal donor."

"Oh thank goodness...Mick, do you mind?"

"Would I have brought it up if I did?" He moves to rise from his seat but Amelia pushes him back into place. "Stay here with your sister - I'll go tell the nurse to page the doctor and get him up here."

Pepper takes Mick's hand and squeezes several minutes after Amelia departs. "I want you to know that I did push for Aaron Michael, Mick. But Tony overruled in the hopes of getting free babysitting."

Mick shakes his head. "Ginny, all I care is that you are both alive and healthy. Quite frankly, big sis, you were probably smart not to name the rugrat after me."

Pepper raises her eyebrow. "And why do you say that?"

Mick grins. "I'm going to be a bad enough influence as it is. This way he's less likely to end up as twisted by my disruptive influence."

"Good luck with that." Amelia replies tartly as she ducks back into the room. "The doctor should be up in about five more minutes. She's just downstairs grabbing something to eat."

Pepper sighs in relief, thrilled that something proactive is finally possible. She channels that relief into teasing her brother. "I guess I should warn you, Mick, that it's Tony's plan to give your niece - should you get one - Michelle as a middle name. He thinks your name on a girl is somehow more karmically appropriate.".

"Hmmm...I always liked 'Toni.' for a little girl myself..." Amelia replies when Michael just stands there and gapes at his sister blankly. "Michelle?" He says, just a little bit blankly.

Pepper smiles. "Toni? Hm…Remind me to keep that one in mind. I think he's going to fight hard for Savannah if we ever have a girl. If we manage two girls though, I might get him to go for 'Toni' just because he'd get to call her junior."

Her husband has a weird sense of humor and she can just see him going for that kind of thing exactly. He's silly, but not really all that narcissistic.

"Talk about condemning your daughters before they're even born," Mick mutters in the silence under his breath. Both women turn and glare at him with almost identical expressions. "What?! Savannah sounds like a name for a hooker to me. And Toni would spend half her time with people being surprised when they read her name that she's not a boy. The name you stick a kid with is the one they're going to have for at least eighteen year. Forgive me if I happen to think that it's serious business."

This just earns him more glares before the women turn to each other, ignoring him for the time being. "What did the nurse think about using Mick as a donor?".

"She's calling the doctor," Amelia explains. "She'll want to talk to Mick before she agrees, and hospital policy demands they do a type and cross since before any donor transfusion."

"How long will that take?" Pepper groans.

"To do a screening? Less than five minutes," Mick is quick to reassure her. "But they'll probably insist on a full blood panel just to rule out infection."

"And how long does _that_ take?" Pepper asks again.

Mick shrugs. "About half an hour, assuming the history and physical they do on me is clean." He winces. "Though Pepper, I can already anticipate one issue. I've been out of country within the last 12 months, that means that they may not agree to let me donate even if I appear healthy unless you sign an agreement not to sue the hospital."

"This just figures," Pepper whispers to herself. "Were you sick while you were gone? Do I need to be worried about it too?"

"He worked too much to get sick. Believe me, I was there all but one week of that time and I heard him bitch constantly about it." Amelia is quick to reassure them both and Pepper visibly relaxes..

"Fine. I agree not to sue, then. All I want is to see Aaron. Besides it's not like you'd deliberately hurt me…" She snorts under her breath.

The idea of Mick deliberately endangering her is about the dumbest idea she's ever heard of.

"Don't tell me, Pepper. Just tell the doctor." He sighs and looks at Amelia. "What? You couldn't have just stolen me a sterile transfusion kit instead? It would have been faster. By the time they'd have noticed, we'd already be halfway through and she'd be miraculously recovered."

Amelia smacks him upside the back of his head. "If you'd been caught doing that, genius, it would have been cause to suspend your medical license."

Pepper blinks at that sentence hard and rapidly. "Wait, medical license? You got your doctorate? _Finally_?!"

"Double doctorates, actually. Social forensics and criminal psychology: your brother is a fully trained profiler now, an certainly the best of his breed." Amelia glares. "Meanwhile he's sitting on his butt making cakes and fruit tarts while I'm stuck with a cubicle of incompetent _idiots_ back at the office."

Pepper looks at her brother, and though she pretends to tease, there's a little...pain...in her voice. "How is it that I've been living with you for six months and I'm as screwed up as ever?"

"You're not," Mick points out insistently. "You've come a long way. Which is impressive since I've never _tried_ to act as your shrink, just as your brother."

He reaches over and kisses her on the forehead. "Nobody scales mount Everest in a day, Virginia Stark. At least give yourself some credit for finally acknowledging that you need to climb." Because they both know it took her years to even reach that point.

Pepper nods, then winces sardonically. "Yeah, well, I don't really want to have to send my own child to therapy. Though god knows he's probably going to need it."

Mick snorts at that. "You've got it wrong, Ginny. Only 'well adjusted' people end up screwing up their kids. Everyone else parents with a little humility."

Pepper snorts in disbelief. "His father flies around in a 'gold and titanium alloy' suit. The kid's gonna need a shrink, or at least lots of getaways with his uncle."

Amelia snorts. "His uncle is a hyperactive, bisexual C.I.A profiler with a pastry fetish. Believe me, Pepper, he'll only add to the trauma."

Amelia's eyes are affectionate as she looks at Pepper's brother. There's nothing accusatory that Pepper can see in between them, just genuine partnership and care.

And she wonders if maybe enough 'bizarre but decent' people _can_ do a child right even in spite of themselves.

Still, Mick is her brother, and she has to defend him. "Yeah, well his uncle's gonna be able to sympathize with him like no one else. He also had to grow up with me."

"Ginny, your most annoying trait as a kid was the fact that you insisted on keeping your bedroom so spotless, you made me look like a slob."

She laughs out loud. "Mick, with my luck Aaron's going to follow Tony's example and be a complete slob anyway."

"Stark's a slob?" Mick asks with amusement. "I haven't noticed that, but then I'm not allowed to enter your guys' bedroom."

That's about the point at which the doctor walks in. "So who here is donating blood to the new mama?" The doctor in question is a woman in her early thirties with a curvy figure and a pleasant expression.

Mick raises his hand. "Uhm, yeah, that would be me." Then he dimples, looking both pathetic and slightly pleading. "I don't suppose you can just forgo the physical examination and go straight to the blood tests?"

"Oh, you're a cutie." The doctor looks amused. "I bet you're all sorts of fun at parties. However, this is a hospital. Try not to charm my staff out of their pants while we get a history."

"Paperwork and blood work only?" Mick sounds a little hopeful. "I sweat on my great aunt Etta that I'm healthy."

"We need to do a basic physical to make sure you're currently completely healthy."

Amelia snorts. "Good luck proving that...that he's not sick I mean."

"Physically sick," the doctor snorts. "His mental stability isn't my cross to bear."

"Look..." Pepper pushes herself upright in the bed briefly before she gets tired and leans back again. The weakness is a little embarrassing, but at least she has everyone's attention. "I just want to be able to go see my son. Mick's my brother. If he says I'm not going to get anything from him, I trust him, so can we take him at his word?"

"I understand that, Mrs. Stark," the doctor says calmly. "But we have safety policies in place for a reason. These tests won't take long and they will not only protect you, they'll protect the child that you're going to be seeing."

All three adults blink at that for a moment. Pepper raises an eyebrow. "What exactly does that mean?"

"It means that preterm babies are at an extremely elevated risk of developing exposure based infections," the doctors informs her.

Pepper's brows lower and she looks at Mick. "You're getting a physical."

He nods without question, a grim look on his face. "With that to be concerned with, yes I definitely am."

The doctor looks at Pepper. "There's one other thing I'd like to discuss with you while I'm here. I know you're already strained, and we don't want to overtax your body, but if you think you can handle it at all, we really want you to try to breast feed your son. You've refused pain medication so there's no reason to delay if you're willing to attempt it before we put a feeding tube in."

"Have you seen Aaron, then?" Pepper questions her intently, thrilled at the idea of getting more information. "I saw him for less than a minute. Can you please give me some kind of briefing?"

"Yes I have seen him. And he's doing...fairly well...considering how early he came. Our prognosis is fairly optimistic. Right now we need to get some tests back in order to make sure he's not hiding any frightening surprises, but otherwise he's coping nicely."

"Is Tony with him?" The only sign of anxiety Pepper displays is the fisting of her hands in her blankets. "And what kind of tests?" Then she looks at Mick and makes a face. "I need to talk to someone about my son, but I know you need to get started with my brother, too."

"Let me finish the physical and I'll be back to answer your questions. Though for the record, we're just doing the standard panel of tests that we do for all pre-term infants." The doctor pauses. "You son is small and currently prone to crying, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It indicates a decently adjusting set of lungs. If we can get him to eat and re-gather his strength, he's got a very good chance of recovering the time in womb that he lost within just a couple of weeks. And he'll go home to a mother who is also much healthier after what I understand was a very rough pregnancy."

Pepper nods and tries to calm down, though she gives up after a few seconds because from her point of view at least she has an acceptable reason to be upset. This is her first baby, and he's having tests performed on him, and she's only seen him for a few seconds. She hasn't even held him yet. "I assume Tony gave consent for any tests if it was needed?"

"He's been quite...involved, yes, asking lots and lots of questions, and he's all but glued to the isolette at the moment." The doctor smiles. "I've told your husband that just as soon as you have another blood transfusion you can visit NICU in a wheelchair for a bit. And you're welcome to hold him for between ten to fifteen minutes, especially if you're willing to try and nurse."

"And will I _still_ be able to hold him if it doesn't work?" Pepper freezes. "Sorry. That was uncalled for. I'm just..." When she looks up it's to see the understanding on the doctor's face, and her lips quirk in a wry smile. "I'm sure you understand what I'm 'just.'"

The doctor nods. "I understand completely, and to warn you, Mrs. Stark, Aaron's going to have a large number of lines and monitors attached to him when you do get to see him." The doctor sighs. "But it tends to look worse than the baby actually feels."

"You're really going to let him out of the isolette already?" Amelia whispers. "Wow. Then he must be doing better. "My mom and Dad didn't get to hold me for almost two weeks."

The doctor blinks at this apparent now-adult preemie. "Preemie care has changed a lot in the last several decades. At this point the benefits to his immune system if he can eat normally outweigh the normal risks. Besides, once he gets older kangaroo care may be the best comfort technique you have."

Pepper nods. "Okay. I'll um, I guess I'll be here when you're done with Mick, then."

"I'll keep you company in the meantime." Amelia reassures her. Then she looks at the doctor. "If he starts hitting on any of your nurses, just call out for me."

"If he gives you trouble of any kind," Pepper says darkly, "Just remind him I don't get to see my son until he cooperates, and no jury would convict me." But then her face clears as she smiles at Mick. "Not that I think you're going to misbehave. Thank you, little brother."

Mick smiles back. "No worries kiddo, I'll be as meek as a lamb." He follows the doctor out into the hall. Pepper covers her face for a moment and lets out a long, shuddery sigh. But as Amelia watches, Pepper's shoulders straighten and when she looks up, she's almost a different woman entirely.

"Amelia, will you do me a couple of favors?" Pepper asks the agent simply.

"I can try," the smaller woman tells her calmly. "Just tell me what you need one thing at a time."

"First, can you grab me a couple of newspapers from downstairs? It might be early enough for the morning edition to be out, and I need to know if anything about Tony and I has hit the AP newswire yet. Then if you don't mind, can you get my laptop from Mick's house, and some broccoli beef? If there's anywhere that's open?"

Amelia checks her watch. "Morning newspapers will be downstairs by now, though I doubt anyone has found out about you and Stark just yet. Wedding announcements are usually in the back section of the local newspaper the day after the wedding, so that isn't likely to hit the fan until maybe tomorrow. The laptop is also no problem, though I will need to either get your keys or drag your brother along with me." She pauses. "Broccoli and beef may be a bit harder to come up with though. I think your brother was lucky to even find pizza for me."

"That's fine. Like I said, they're favors, not demands. The cafeteria should open soon anyway. And um...I'm pretty sure Tony has my keys, if we even remembered to lock up the house." Pepper hesitates. "Though, do you really need them? I totally give you permission to pick the lock. And if I could do it, than I know you can."

"True enough. Keys will just draw less notice. Not to notice Mick has the car keys as well." Amelia shrugs. "I'll head down to the lobby right now. In the meantime, if you want to see if the news is breaking publicly then I suggest you turn on CNN. They tend to have those kind of tidbits on the early morning show if they have them at all. In the meantime I'll start looking for press gathering in the vicinity."

Pepper nods. "Thanks a lot, Amelia. I'm going to owe you."

"For what? Being a decent person? Last I checked, that's the way life is supposed to be." She shrugs. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and try not to feel up your brother while retrieving both the car and house keys." Then she blushes. "Oh crud. I just said that out loud, didn't I?"

"Well, yeah... But after yesterday afternoon do you really think I'm shocked? Parking lots? Not exactly private."

Amelia chews her lip. "Yeah well, I'm kind of impulsive. It's always been my weakness."

"I kind of noticed," Pepper says dryly. "But Mick is the opposite so you'll balance out each other nicely.

"Maybe someday," Amelia agrees, drawing a stare of confusion from Pepper.

Then she'd gone before Pepper can ask her, exactly what 'someday' is supposed to mean.


	13. Chapter 13

All in all, Tony is the human equivalent of a rubber band that's a fraction of an inch away from snapping. Between the constant sound of the monitoring machines and his son's fretful cries which he can't _do_ anything about, he's frustrated and on edge. Being away from Pepper isn't helping either, even if she'd probably been right about telling him to come here. It'd certainly saved the doctors from a lot of running back and forth for parental consent.

Maybe it's just the atmosphere that's not helping: it's like the week he spent in the hospital after the heart attack. Nobody here speaks in a normal voice, just in hushed ones that he usually associates with tones used around the ill. And considering where he is…

Everyone tells him that Aaron's doing amazingly well. What no one says is "under the circumstances."

He's been here for two hours. He's not sure how parents who have to be here day after day for weeks manage it…though he guesses he's going to get that figured out for himself. Standing by his son's isolette with his arms encased in plastic up the elbows, Tony wishes for Pepper. He doesn't like having his family in two places.

In the warmed box of plastic, Aaron shudders slightly, and then begins to squirm. "Hey there, take it easy." He cups a hand to the newborn's head.

And for a moment or two the child seems to quiet. The nurse stops behind him, tilting her head.

"Mr. Stark, that apparently seems to help...are you sure you don't want to _hold_ him?"

Tony frowns, looking the woman up and down; she's bronze skinned and dark haired, in what Tony's guessing is her early forties. "They said he can't leave the isolette much. I was going to wait so my wife can hold him first...she really didn't get a chance to down in delivery."

The nurse for her part, tilts her head just a little, then leans over to check Aaron's pulse oximeter and other monitoring equipment. Then she looks back with blue eyes full of understanding. "Well he's definitely agitated, but that's probably because he's exhausting himself resisting the urge to sleep. Go wash you hands. This is what I call a natural moment to make an exception."

Tony feels a little guilty, like he's stealing something from Pepper, but this is also an opportunity he can't turn down. This is something he can _do_ to make his son feel better, and himself feel better, and he doesn't think Pepper would actually hold it against him...

He's preoccupied as he washes his hands in the hottest water he can stand. Then he comes back, eager and nervous and also scared. Yeah, sure, he likes kids but what does he _know_ about them?

The nurse motions to a rocking chair she's set by the incubator. "Have a seat and we'll get you both as comfortable as we can." Less than a minute later a small wailing ball of humanity is laid out in his arms.

He looks at Aaron and Aaron, for a moment at least, looks up in confusion at him. "Yeah, I don't know what to do without your mama either," Tony murmurs to his son. "She'll be here soon to sort us out though." He starts rocking gently, afraid that the motion might cause a return of the earlier crying.

Instead his son keeps staring at him, smacking his lips in mild agitation. As if to ask "Who in hell are _you _supposed to be?" Tony carefully shifts his arms so that Aaron's cradled against his chest, and then he carefully skims his fingers across his son's cheek. The skin is even softer than Pepper's, something Tony had a hard time believing. He repeats the motion, only to have Aaron's head turn and follow his hand.

"And that would be rooting - which is really incredible, we don't see that in most preemies until thirty to thirty two weeks," The nurse Tony hadn't noticed watching them smiles. "This one, though, is ahead by two to three weeks in practically everything."

'Yes well he's had at least one guardian angel looking out for him.' He's going to have to thank Mick for being such a hovering over-protector. Tony's willing to lay odds the extra care has made all the difference in the now.

Aaron meanwhile, continues to root, obviously insistent, and obviously hungry. "Sorry kiddo, I don't have the equipment for what you're looking for." He lays the child back down in his lip and offers the newborn a finger to suck, hoping to pacify him for the time being.

He blinks at the suction Aaron manages to exert. "Hey, for a munchkin you've got some pretty good pull going."

It only takes a few seconds for the infant to realize there's no meal forthcoming though, and he starts crying again...though this time Tony could almost swear he sounds _pissed_.

"Tony - what are you doing?" As tired and gravely as her voice sounds, Tony's relieved to hear Pepper at all. He grins as he looks up briefly from the bundle in his lap. There's a look of amusement on Pepper's face as well. She's sitting in a wheel chair flanked by Mick and Amelia, and judging by the flush to her face, the blood transfusion has helped her tremendously.

The baby squirms and starts smacking his lips again.

"I was trying to put him off awhile, but I believe someone has decided that he wants his dinner and is finding me severely lacking in that department. How you doing?" His eyes trace her from head to toe, noting she seems to have had a shower or bed bath and is in a clean set of scrubs and a soft looking robe.

"Better. Once again Mick saved the day." Pepper reaches behind her to pat her brother's hand. "And he volunteered for chauffer duty. Now mind you, he's no Happy..."

"I'll choose not to take that as an insult." Mick whistles as he steps close enough to peer over Tony's shoulder. "I have to admit Sis, that's a...really interesting looking kid."

"Oh shut up, Mick." But Pepper sounds distracted and not completely serious. "Oh my gosh. He's so _small_..."

Mick continues. "He looks...well...kinda like a tiny red-headed monkey. A good looking one, but a monkey nonetheless."

"Michael Andrews!" Pepper glares at her brother from a split second before she looks back at her son. "There's a reason we didn't name you after your uncle," she murmurs as her fingers brush against the red fuzz on the top of his head in apology.

"Yeah, you're too masculine," Tony informs Aaron in what he considers justified consolation.

"Okay, I'm not going to stand around and take this -"

"You just don't want to watch me nurse. Which I actually appreciate." Pepper tears her eyes away from her son one last time. "Thank you, Mick. Wouldn't be here without you, but you've been up for hours now, why don't you both go back to the house and try and get some sleep."

Amelia smiles. "We'll both be back later. And for the record Andrews, _I _have more testosterone than you do." And they both depart after Mick bends to gently press a kiss to his nephew's forehead.

"How have you been?" Pepper asks, after they've left, taking another break from baby adoring to concentrate on Tony.

"Fine now that you're both in one place and apparently doing well." The baby starts to wrinkle up his small face again. "Pepper, I suggest we swap places because he's going to start hollering within the next ten seconds, I'm betting."

"Okay." Pepper accepts help up from a nurse and then gratefully sinks down into the rocking chair. "I don't know how other women manage to survive labor for hours," she admits. "I'm just so tired."

"Honey, your labor was not at all typical. Don't use it to judge." The nurse takes Aaron from Tony just long enough to rewrap him and do a couple of quick checks.

"True." Pepper holds her arms out, then pulls them back and reaches for her top. Then she pauses and looks up at Tony with a bit of a deer in the headlights look.

He's about to offer to turn his back or something but she closes her eyes and he watches in amusement as she seems to lecture herself silently. When her eyes open again, she reaches for the buttons of her pajama top. There's a blanket sitting on a stack to his right and he lifts it off gently, extending it in her direction. "Don't want to make the other natives jealous," he teases with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Thank you," she tells him softly, but with a world of meaning in her voice. The nurse helps her arrange the blanket, giving useful advice when she finds out that Pepper's a first time mother. Then finally she's ready to take her baby in her arms.

She hesitates for maybe a split second as all her doubts and fears come rushing at her at once, and then the nurse is sliding Aaron into her arms and his tiny body is warm and moving restlessly and the only response she can give is to pull him close. Her son opens his mouth as if to wail, but then pauses and closes it again. His tiny head lolls just a little against her chest.

"He recognizes your smell," the nurse informs her, "And though it can't be proven, probably also your heartbeat. And all preemies just love skin on skin."

"Yeah?" Pepper's voice is just a little bit higher than normal, mainly because her throat just got all tight. With her son cradled in one arm, she reaches underneath the blanket and finishes unbuttoning her shirt. "Hey there, little man. I've got you," she croons softly. "Yeah, I've got you." Her son continues squirming, though he makes no move to cry, instead he rubs his face against her breast.

It takes a little encouragement for him to find the nipple, but when he does he starts suckling, weakly but insistently. The nurse steps closer. "Let him try as long as he wants, though don't worry if it doesn't seem like he's getting much at first. We'll keep an eye on his weight for the next few days, and if he starts losing weight or doesn't gain the way he should then we'll put a lavage tube in and give him the breast milk that way. For now though, this is a better bonding scenario for both of you."

"He's going to need to eat every few hours, isn't he?" Pepper looks up briefly, concerned again about how all of this is going to work out. She just doesn't know enough yet, and until the bookstores open in the morning she's not going to be able to send anyone out for books dealing with preemies and newborns.

This all happened before she really had time to get ready for it, and now she wants to be able to sit down with Aaron's primary physician for a longer period of time and talk to them while her mind's not hazy with exhaustion and blood loss.

In short, Pepper needs what she's best at, some kind of a _plan_.

For now though she'll settle for feeding her son and getting both her and her husband the chance to take a nap.

The nurse - whose name tag reads 'Jessie' - smiles in response to her questions, rearranging some of Aarons tubing carefully before she answers. "In general newborns tend to want feeding every 3-4 hours. With your son at firs, though, we'll probably try and offer him sustenance every time he seems willing, and if that means he eats every two hours we won't object at all. Though that will probably mean he'll be getting an enriched formula as well as your breast milk unless you plan to regularly pump."

"If he takes from the breast will he take from a bottle?" Tony's voice is quiet. "I mean, if so, I'd be happy to help with those feedings. It'll take the pressure off you guys and let me spend some time with him as well."

Pepper's instinctive response is to say no, to tell him that whether she's sleeping or not, she wants to be woken up to feed Aaron. But then she remembered the look of wonder she'd seen on Tony's face when she'd first come in, and his eagerness to accept Aaron as _his _son... And she just doesn't have it in her to deny him any sort of bonding time with Aaron, even if it makes her a little jealous already.

Besides, if she doesn't sleep, she's never going to be able to convince him to do the same. She has to remember that he's not fully over his heart attack even if today was in some ways as close to normal as she'd seen him be in months.

Tony Fucking Stark indeed.

Tony chews his lip... "Will this all be safe for Pepper? The strain of breastfeeding after such a traumatic event?"

"Absolutely," the nurse assures him. "Though just producing the milk will take up massive amounts of her energy at first that would normally go toward healing." She looks at Pepper. "Expect that you're going to need to nap frequently the first few weeks."

The look on Tony's face when he meets Pepper's eyes again is worried and stubborn, like he thinks she's going to be difficult about this...which is probably a good assessment consider her past behavior. "Pepper, I know you'd probably rather -"

She reaches up and pulls at the front of his shirt until he's leaning down over the chair. Then she silences his argument with a soft kiss.

Beside them the nurse chuckles, and Aaron squirms, probably at the constriction of space just above him. He breaks his hold on Pepper's nipple and howls in protest. "Oh my gosh. I think I've heard_ you_ make that sound when you don't have my full attention," Pepper murmurs against Tony's lips as she lets him go.

"I resemble that remark," Tony tells her with a mock frown as he raises a hand to cup the back of Aaron's head under the blanket. Their son, apparently done with his meal for the moment, responds by flailing out a hand to impact with Tony's chest.

"That's right. It's usually all your father's fault," Pepper says approvingly as she shifts Aaron closer and starts rocking gently. Then she meets Tony's eyes and says, "I will agree to trade off feeding times if that means that you're going to get as much sleep as I will," she frankly bargains.

"Six hours a night?" Tony suggests after a moment of consideration. "I, unlike you, am not breastfeeding, and I didn't just have a baby."

Her eyes narrow. "Six hours and a nap during the day if you need it. I didn't have a major cardiac episode from which I'm still recovering. Besides we're both still officially on vacation until it's safe to take Aaron home."

"A minimum of eight hours a night for you." He's driving what she suspects he sees as a reasonable bargain.

The nurse beside them chuckles. "You two sound like you're negotiating some kind of business contract."

"It's what I do," Pepper murmurs to the nurse distractedly. "Eight hours a night until the doctor says I'm fit to leave the hospital."

"We were colleagues long before we were lovers," Tony informs the nurse without looking up. "And don't be fooled, this is one of the rare negotiations I've managed to actually win." He bends down this time to press a kiss to her forehead.

"And no bribing my doctors," Pepper orders as he straightens.

"Now would I do something so underhanded?"

Jessie chuckles. "Somehow I'm guessing yes."

"He would, if he thought the doctor was wrong," Pepper says as she peeks under the blanket. Aaron appears to be sound asleep, his little chest rising and falling quickly.

"Mr. and Mrs. Stark?" comes a voice from behind them, and for a moment Pepper has to force herself not to quickly look around. She wonders how long it's going to take before that change in what she's called doesn't feel completely strange.

There's a man in the doorway. He's dressed in jeans and a plain grey t-shirt, which is incongruous with the white lab coat he's got on over it. Easily in his late forties, he looks apologetic for interrupting, but he also looks a little worried.

Pepper feels the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"Hello and good morning. Congratulations on your son. I'm Dr. Novak, the hospital administrator, and I'm relieved to see both the patients appear to be doing so well. I know that this is just about an unforgivable time to be interrupting, but I do need to talk to you at your earliest convenience. It seems news about your presence here has gotten out and it's starting to cause some headaches and security concerns."

Pepper stiffens like someone's shoved a cattle prod in her side, and her arms tighten around Aaron ever so slightly. "Is it...are you talking about just a couple of reporters who want an interview, or are we now all over the TV?"

"The latter, I'm afraid," the man admits apologetically. "We have quite a frenzy building outside, though our security is mostly managing now to keep the wandering reporters out."

"Mostly?" Tony crosses his arms over his chest and stares the other man down. That indicates to him that it's a recent development.

"Our night shift security team did their best, but we were unaware how much the news would affect things, or how quickly the press would start arriving once a non-hospital employee realized just who'd been transported in through the ER. This is a hospital with other patients in it, Sir, and they are all entitled to receive visitors. I'm assuming at least a couple realized what was happening and decided to make a leap at a chance for ten minutes of fame." The man sighs very heavily. "This...we're not a large institution...and some of the less moral press core are not exactly wearing their Press IDs. As it is we've started a new procedure, no one gets up to the inpatient units without a full ID check and confirmation from the patient they are visiting that they are expected. Still there are a few more difficult visitors," he clears his throat in obvious discomfort. "There's currently at least two gentleman down in the lobby who are trying to claim they're the infant's biological father."

Pepper can feel her breathing becomes shallow as her chest grows tight. "Do you... Have they given their names?" she asks a little faintly.

Tony hears that and he steps back and places his hand on her shoulder. "This isn't the place to be having this conversation," he says with the kind of authority Pepper's more used to hearing from him. It's the voice of a man who always gets his way. "Let us put our son to bed and then we'll meet you in your office."

The man nods without question. "I'll be there in another five minutes. In the meantime _no_ one gets in and out of this NICU without special hospital ID. If you want to okay any special visitors other than you and your wife, let us know and we'll make up special bracelets."

Pepper nods stiffly and tries to get a hold of herself. There is _no_ reason to think that Mark Delaney would fly all the way out here to cause problems. Hell, he shouldn't even know she's given birth yet. The morning news won't have even come on in LA yet for one thing, and there is no reason for him to come to her when eventually she and Tony were both going to becoming back to LA.

'It's not like he showed any interest at all in knowing his child, Pepper. And you've got the paperwork back at the house to prove it.' Still, she isn't sure that Delaney won't start making noises now that she is married to a very rich man. Either for a better position at work or possibly hush money.

Still she can't help babbling softly, out of absolute panic, "We...we had a deal signed before I left, Tony. I agreed that I would never ask for child support in exchange for complete noninterference. If he tries to void that agreement though…"

She tries not to double over and Aaron abruptly starts to wail.

"What did I do?" Pepper asks in alarm, unaware of the tears that are swimming in her eyes.

"He's probably just picking up on your tension," Jessie says soothingly as she brushes Tony out of the way. "Take some deep breaths, Pepper. That's it." Her hands slip under the blanket and do up the buttons of her top before she rearranges the blanket around Pepper's shoulders. "Just try to calm down, and then we'll get your little one back to bed. It's been an exhausting day for everyone."

Tony's head is swimming with this new information as he gently tugs free the blanket, noting the almost panicked grip Pepper still has on her son. He reaches out and tilts up her chin. "You have a signed document that says he waives all parental rights? Is it notarized?"

Pepper sniffs a little and nods, and watches as Tony's face splits in a gigantic grin. "Then relax, Pepper. That's binding, a court would have to overturn it. And any that tries will end up taking on the full force of Stark Industries' Legal Department."

"The agreement will make you his legal father?" Pepper forehead wrinkles. "I thought you implied that that's what marrying me was supposed to do?"

"No, marrying you was supposed to get me married to you. Though it won't hurt our case since you have a spouse with resources that Delaney for all his money, simply doesn't." He rubs her shoulders. "Just calm down, Pepper. You know I'm not going to let anyone do anything to you or to Aaron. With that paper we have grounds for me to call up legal right now and begin proceedings for a formal adoption."

Pepper nods and does her best to trust him. Tony has shown in the past that he gets his way more often than not. Besides...who would really argue for taking an infant from its mother and her husband?

"Okay..." she whispers. "I guess...I suppose we should go talk to Dr. Novak, then. Try and figure out how big of a mess this is going to be." She looks down at the infant in her arms just in time to see the most adorable little yawn she's ever seen.

"We better take him back, and let him sleep awhile" the nurse says apologetically. "He's been out of the isolette longer than we really prefer. Though as a result he's actually finally _asleep_...and resting on a partially full tummy."

"Let us know when he's ready to be fed again," Pepper says as she reluctantly lets Aaron go.

"Where's the wheelchair they wheeled her in here in?" Tony asks once Aaron is tucked into a warm little ball back in the incubator.

"I...can't I walk?" Pepper asks a little reluctantly, mindful now of any eyes that might be watching.

"Did you want to?" Tony asks in surprise.

"Well..." Pepper doesn't want to say that she's not really up for it because it might set a bad precedent. However, just the thought of walking any distance at all is enough to make most of her body start aching.

"There might be _media_ out there, Tony." She manages to look at him and not at her hands. "I don't want them to realize...I prefer to face any problems on my feet."

She's reluctant to give up even the appearance of strength.

"Pepper," Tony squats down until he's looking at her eye to eye. "You just gave birth two months before you were supposed to. You got engaged this morning, arrested this afternoon, and married this evening. You had two pints of blood pumped back into you, and you haven't slept in longer than I want to think about. Explain with that as the standard how you needing to ride in a wheelchair can be construed as you being weak." He studies her face. "Besides...I doubt anyone is wandering around the hallways with TV cameras and microphones."

"And if you're _wrong?_" she stresses a little softly.

"Then I'm wrong and we'll sue their asses for trespassing and stalking. Pepper, it's not going to help your case if you fall flat on your face. And frankly, the stress of watching you try to walk right now is probably more than I can take."

This last is admitted so softly that even Pepper has a hard time hearing it. She chews her lip but finally nods in acquiescence.

"Fine. For now I'll stick to the chair, but as soon as I can get the okay, I am getting back up on my feet."

"Honey, you had a baby. God's natural excuse to be pampered. Besides, I defy anyone to try and make trouble up here, our head nurse will string them up by their necks." Jessie chuckles softly, "and it'd be quite a sight to see. She's a former Marine. If you're that worried about going downstairs, though, I can make a call and have the administrator come up here to have your little chit-chat. Hell it's probably the better option anyway, because you can talk at the same time you lie down and _rest_."

Pepper can see the way Tony's eyes light up at this suggestion, so she nods her head. "Fine. We'll be just down the hall then." She looks longingly at the isolette but then allows Tony and the nurse to help her into a new wheelchair.

Just as they're reaching her room again Tony's cell phone starts ringing, and when he answers it Pepper recognizes the faint voice as Rhodey's...

"So Uhmmm Stark. I'm watching CNN. I don't suppose there's something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?"

"Why? Is there something I should _want_ to tell you?" Tony reaches down and squeezes Pepper's hand. From the grin on his face, he's having a marvelous time.

Rhodey sounds less than impressed. "Not funny man. Is Pepper all right? Cause right now Happy's beating the hell outta himself that either of you had to be hospitalized. Which is impressive when you consider that he can't even stand without wobbling right now."

"Everyone's fine," Tony says in a calm voice. "Though I'm thinking about calling a favor. I think that the CIA should come down here and breakup the rabble outside the hospital, seeing as how I'm in the mood to press a lawsuit up their ass after this afternoon."

"Did Pepper go into labor or what, Stark? Cause CNN isn't verifying anything... just that there's rumors she's up in the hospital's maternity wing..." There's a pause. "Or was the health issue actually with _you_?" There's genuine concern in Rhodey's voice, as well as mounting frustration.

It's time to ease it. "Mama and baby are both fine," Tony says. "Though 'baby' is now Aaron James Stark and he's down in the NICU. He decided to come early. But he's just had his first feeding and settled down for a nap. The doctors are pretty optimistic in their outlook."

There's a pause on the other end. "Damn. I just lost two hundred bucks in a bet I made with Happy," Rhodey snorts. "She was carrying awfully high for a boy."

"Isn't that an old wives' tale?" They reach Pepper's room and Tony turns on the speaker phone as he helps Pepper out of the wheelchair and into her bed. Honestly, he's a little envious. Hospital beds suck, but they're still beds and she's not the only one who's had a long day.

"Rhodey, how's Happy? Is he recovering from being drugged okay?" Pepper asks the question as she scoots over patting the space right beside her. "We'll squish in fine. Now lay down before you fall over."

Tony relents enough to sit on the edge of the bed, but he doesn't lay down. They've got one more conversation to handle before he can go to sleep which is the likely outcome of going horizontal.

"Happy's more or less convinced this is all his fault," Rhodes says as Pepper rolls her eyes at Tony's stubbornness. "Though, I'm not sure he's clearheaded at the moment. I don't know what the hell they drugged him with, but it's almost like he's drunk _and _hungover all at once."

"I'll talk to Mick," Pepper promises. "Maybe he can tell us more about what he was probably given and suggest possible means for relief. So are you two up to running a couple or errands for me? Cause Mick and Amelia have been up all night and are going to need to crash soon, but there's a few things that we're still going to need."

"No problem. Happy's getting stir crazy anyway. Something useful will help us fill up the time. Most hospitals don't allow visitors till eight a.m., so we have a few hours to kill at least.."

"Well, it's going to be a few hours before you can get most of it because the stores aren't open, but can you drop by my brother's place sometime this morning and pack some clothes up for Tony and I? And then you'll need to find a baby store that sells preemie clothes and buy a few soft sleeper sets just to get us by, and if the stores have any books about preemies, could you buy them for me?"

She looks over at Tony. "Can you think of anything else we'll need? Amelia's already brought me my laptop, I think."

Tony sighs, clearly not looking forward to his next words. "Rhodey, I need you to bring my meds. I might have missed a dose or two."

When Pepper glares he raises his hands. "It wasn't intentional, Potts, we've been a little bit _busy_."

"Ooohhh..." Pepper points at him. "Two naps," is her only reply, and it doesn't sound like she's going to accept any quibbling over whether or not they'd already sealed their deal.

"As soon as the press is dealt with I'll crash in a chair." His lack of fight is a pretty good indication of just how exhausted he really is.

Pepper looks back to the phone. "There's a number on the fridge. A colonel who's also a trauma surgeon. Please bring that along when you bring the other stuff."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Rhodes asks. "I mean, flyboy there -"

"'Flyboy' has already 'flashed' that particular doctor," Pepper says dryly. "And was still told his biggest health problem was an acute case of idiocy. Tell me that this isn't a good doctor for Tony to see."

"I don't _need_ -" Tony tries to protest. The look Pepper shoots him is not particularly pleasant.

"You are now accountable to your family, Tony," she reminds him much too pleasantly.

"I'm not in the least bit symptomatic. Let me take my meds and just get some sleep. The last thing we need is both of us stuck in a hospital bed, especially for something as completely useless as _more_ inconclusive testing."

"Rhodey, we'll talk to you when you get here," Pepper says in a tone that brooks no argument. "You'll need to show your ID downstairs. We'll make sure security knows that you're coming."

"No problem. Hey, congratulations, Pepper. And Tony? Good luck, man." The phone goes dead and silence reigns for about two seconds before Pepper pokes Tony in the chest. Hard.

"Ouch," is his only reply. "Pepper please, there are bigger things to be concerned with."

"Like hell. You haven't been to an appointment in months, Tony. I want you to at least get a checkup. I'm not the only one who's had a stressful last forty eight hours, and I haven't been skipping my meds."

"I have an appointment scheduled at the end of this week. Are you saying I won't have to go to that one if I spend the rest of the day letting them poke me?" He snorts in what can only be described as total disgust.

"Yes. Because sooner is better." Pepper lets her hard demeanor soften. "Please, Tony. I worry about you. You know I do. And you're going to be pushing yourself now to do everything you can and probably more than you should. I thought we'd have another two months for you to rest up before the three AM feedings started, but we don't now. And I need you to be okay."

He sighs. "Can we compromise? They can draw blood and do take basic vitals, but nothing more invasive until the end of the week unless there's obvious trouble? Because I'm serious, Pepper; we can't afford to both be inpatients right now."

"It'd give us a good reason not to leave the hospital." Her smile is lopsided and fades when he doesn't budge. "Fine. As long as there's no obvious signs of trouble, then we can wait until I'm okayed to leave the hospital before we find out if you can or not. But if there _are_ signs of trouble -"

"There won't be," he informs her and the universe firmly.

"Not what you were supposed to say, Stark. What I wanted to hear was if there are any signs of trouble, you'll be sensible and listen to your doctors."

"Pepper, the last doctor I talked to about more testing wanted to remove the generator and it's casing so they could get a better view of the inside of my chest." His voice is calm. "Forgive me if I'm not exactly crazy about being constantly pushed to what amounts to unnecessary surgery, but the vibrations and magnetism from the generator rule out most tests including MRI and ultrasound."

"Well then, maybe you need to turn your mind to inventing an imaging device your reactor won't interfere with." This is said so matter of factly that Tony knows Pepper has no doubt about his abilities to do such a thing. It's also said as if this should have occurred to him awhile ago.

"I was...working on it," he admits a little gruffly. "The specs are handwritten on my desk back at home..."

"Then as long as you're not in immediate danger of anything life threatening, that part of the exam can probably wait." She smiles and leans back into the pillows. "When's that doctor going to get here? I want to get this done."

"I'll go ask the nurse." Tony moves to slide off the bed, but Pepper stops him with hand around his wrist.

"We have a call button, Stark. I suggest you learn to use it."

"How long are you going to keep calling me by my last name?" Tony asks as he reaches for the call button and presses it.

"As long as you do things that justify it," she answers him smugly.

"Yes, well 'Mrs. Stark,' I lack a suitable equivalent..." He wrinkles his nose. "It's going to be strange not being able to use the nicknames that have been standard for years."

"I wouldn't mind if you kept calling me Potts, Tony. It has turned into a bit of an endearment," She runs her hand over his. "Just because I'm married to you doesn't mean I'm not myself any longer. I'm a Potts _and _a Stark now. Hell I'm even partly an Andrews."

He soaks those words in a moment, then reaches over to take her hand. "Potts, it is then," he tells her softly. "We can even hyphenate it if you want to."

She shakes her head. "I think I'm going to like being publicly known as Mrs. Stark. It's quite a coup, you know. But there may be times I do something particularly 'Pottish...' Just like you do very Starky things..."

"Ah...so our names are going to be justifications for our behavior." He smirks. "I suppose I can get behind that. Though the title might not be as much a coup as you think."

She's about to reply when the door opens and Dr. Novak steps in. "I hope I'm not interrupting again?"

Tony yawns and shakes his head. "We're just killing time. Thank you being willing to have this conversation up here."

Novak shrugs. "It's really no problem. I probably should have though of it myself to begin with."

"We understand that you were probably woken up in the middle of the night to come deal with this," Pepper says by way of _their _apology. "We never dreamed though, that the news would get out this _fast._"

"Yes well, unfortunately we've had a few other big events in town lately, and it's meant we have more press in the city than usual. Though how they found out what floor you're on is another matter entirely."

Pepper and Tony both shrug at the same time. "We're both upset -"

"Pissed off," Tony interrupts.

"_Upset,"_ Pepper restates, "but I at least was expecting something like this to happen. I'm a little surprised by how suddenly it happened, but not that it did happen, considering my husband's notoriety."

"Yes well apparently the situation has been complicated by several factors. Including the fact that one of the wandering reporters we did catch and eject from the hospital had a contact in ER who gave them access to your medical information." The hospital administrator shakes his head in what is clear anger. "The person who did so has already been located and unless you object, they are going to be fired. Because we take patient confidentiality very seriously around here."

Pepper looks over at Tony. "That's enough for me. Do you want to do anything else about it?"

"Short of finding out who the press they gave the information to and suing them as well?" Tony sighs, "How much information did they get? I mean out of Pepper and Aaron's personal medical files?"

Novak shakes his head. "From what I can see, just their admitting information and blood types, well that and the fact that they're both bearing your last name and were admitted for a preterm delivery."

"We're going to have to release a statement," Pepper says softly. "If only to pacify the board. They're going to be pissed it came out like this anyway. News you have an heir could have unexpected effects on the stock market."

She's not sure whether those effects will be positive or negative.

"I'm going to call Walsh." Tony murmurs in reply. "He's the one who tried the hardest to stay in good touch with me after the heart attack and he's got the coolest head of all of them. Besides," He quirks his lip, "He's one of the few who was almost as worried about you as me."

"He always was one of the more reasonable ones on the board," Pepper agrees. "Is there anything else we should know?" she asks Novak. "Or anything we can do for you? We truly don't want to make your life more difficult than it has to be."

"Ma'am you're a patient here, that means you're our guest, and any trouble that's occured is mostly our own. That stated, if you do plan to stay here and not ship yourself and your son off to a more advanced pediatric hospital once he's a little more stable, then I highly suggest that we try and set up a task room that can be shared by a Stark Industries press agent and any private security you may wish to arrange."

"Is that alright? I know there are hospitals around LA who complain when patients demand that kind of treatment, and we're both here as private citizens, not as celebrities." Pepper raises a brow in surprise.

"Our press specialist would be happy to handle things if you prefer, but given the sheer...enthusiasm of the crowds thus and our failure to contain information like it should have been contained, we can't very well not justify allowing whatever accommodations you feel would be prudent or necessary."

'Loosely translated, we fucked up and we don't; want you to sue us. So we're going to bend over backwards to try and make up for the fact.' "Is this the best place for my son medically speaking?" Pepper asks, as that's truly the deciding factor. "Is he in any shape to be taken somewhere else if you don't want us here?"

"It's not a question of want, it's a question of equipping. I stand behind our staff's training absolutely, but we are only a mid-level hospital for this kind of care and equipment. Hell even Augusta, probably has a better NICU then we do."

"Tony...? Is that something we can fix? Because I don't particularly want to leave Savannah, and I really don't want to risk moving Aaron if we don't have to..."

Tony nods. "Get me a list of what physical equipment you think you lack to get you up to fully modern, and we'll see that it's purchased and left here when we depart. Also if there are any consults that you would suggest we'll use the jet to get them here." He pauses. "We will take you up on your offer of a task room I think, and I'm going to make sure that both Pepper and Aaron have security on them at all times."

"Happy can make the calls to the rest of your team," Pepper says to her husband softly. "And I bet Amelia has information on the better private firms in the area...if you're willing to take advice from her, that is. I know the CIA's a touchy subject for you right now."

"Amelia's competence is the main reason I'm not sure about suing the Agency yet. I'm half afraid she'd be the one they choose as their fall-patsy..." Tony pauses, "Though if that happened, I might just try and recruit her into our own private security."

"I don't think they'd dare." Pepper meets Dr. Novak's eyes again. "Is there anything else you're concerned about?"

Novak shakes his head, looking a little dazed – probably from the thought of the hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment he's been given leave to purchase on Tony's tab. "At the moment, no. Though..." He looks at Tony and frowns. "Sir no offense but, are _you_ well? Because you're looking more than a little bit off color to me."

"Told you," Pepper mutters under her breath.

Tony glares at her, then turns to the doctor. "I'm recovering from some recent heart problems, but I'm on top of things. I'm just tired."

"Actually." Pepper straightens in the bed for a moment. "Is there any way we could get another bed in here? Tony won't get any sleep if he leaves now."

"We have a cot available to all our new fathers. And we can lend him a set of scrubs if he'd like to shower and change. Sir, if I can ask, assuming you're referring to a myocardial infarction, when did you last take your meds or have anything to eat?"

"What time did we have dinner? Seven?" Tony asks. Pepper nods. "And so that means I last took my meds...Wednesday morning?"

"Tony, it's officially Friday."

"I told you I missed a couple of doses..."

"You're an idiot." Pepper rolls her eyes and looks at the doctor. "We have a friend bringing his things later this morning. Though maybe I should call and have him bring them _now_."

"I'll do you one better," Novak tells her. "I'm going to have them draw a stat panel of basic and cardiac labs. And if you supply the names and doses of your meds we will fill them through the Emergency Department."

He looks at Tony then. "In return, the nurses will bring you food and a patient sized bed. Because you do look like you're in need of sleep."

Pepper shrugs helplessly as Tony looks to her to help him out. "What do you want me to say, Tony? He's right."

Tony sighs. "Blood work is fine. Call Jarvis for the meds…he keeps track of my dosages better than me. I just know what color pill and how many at what time."

Pepper nods and reaches for his phone. "Is he up and running again? I forgot to ask after we left the base."

"If he's not, go ahead and call Rhodey. He can read what you need, literally off of the prescription bottles in the bathroom." He looks at Pepper with very serious eyes. "Aaron will be hungry again soon, which means _you _need to sleep. Because until Rhodey and Happy get here, I want one of us awake at all times."

"Right after I call Rhodes. I swear."

"You _will_ wake me up if you or he run into any problems." It's not even remotely a question.

Pepper's already dialing before he can finish giving instructions. "Will that be all, Mr. Stark?" she asks with a teasing smile.

"Not by half." His smile is tired. "But that's the unavoidable before we both nap." He smirks at her a little. "I expect you to turn over your Blackberry and laptop when I get out of the shower."

"I expect to be _asleep_ by the time you're out of the shower, so don't turn on the lights."

Dr Novak chuckles. "Are you two really newlyweds? Because you sound just like my wife and I negotiating who's doing what chore. And we've been married almost 23 years."

"Don't say it," Pepper says, pointing a finger in warning at Tony.

His lips quirk. "Pepper and I have been...working together...for nearly twelve years," he says. His tone makes "working together" sound more intimate than it was, but at least he doesn't say they'd been dating that long.

Novak smiles. "Ah, so married without really knowing it." He shakes his hand and smiles a little fondly. "My wife Marissa was my lab partner for nine years before she finally put me out of her misery by forcing me to buy a clue."

"See Pepper, twelve years is nothing to be ashamed of." Tony steals a quick kiss before getting off the bed.

Pepper groans. "Why does everyone insist on encouraging him?"


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **well, we're in the home stretch, folks. This is the beginning of the last three chapters. It's been a wild ride, and 4persephone and I have both really enjoyed having you all along on it. As always, reviews are always appreciated.

* * *

Pepper had greatly underestimated the stress generated by having a child in the hospital. Between staying awake as long as possible to stay at Aaron's bedside, and being woken up from scattered naps to feed him, she was averaging about eight hours a day when what she really needed was an eight hour solid _block_ of sleep. She knew Tony agreed with that assessment wholeheartedly – hell, he'd tried to shoo her toward bed at least a half dozen times, reminding her that he'd actually _requested_ to get a turn at bottle feeding.

Unfortunately, she'd broken into irrational tears the last time he'd reminded her of this, and he'd been so concerned for her fragile feelings that he hadn't brought the issue up again, even though she knew that he was both frustrated and hurt by her refusal to let him do his part.

She just couldn't seem to change her own rising and falling emotions, though, which screamed that she couldn't justify _not_ being there for her son when she was needed.

And Tony was no better really. The only time he left NICU or her hospital room was to deal with the staff who'd been flown in and were still trying to get a handle on events, or to help her walk the halls. Pepper felt guilty about not being more involved with the whole mess that the press was causing them and the hospital, but even thinking about the chaos downstairs left her feeling overwhelmed and a little bit panicked.

Though, she thought she might be able to blame that on her wildly fluctuating hormones too, since Mick brought had bought her California rolls for lunch today, and that had made her teary as well.

By the end of the third day though, she is absolutely exhausted, and totally horrified when Aaron, who has normally nursed with little issue suddenly becomes absolutely belligerent when she attempts to feed him. "What's wrong?" she asks the nurse in confusion when her son spits out the nipple the third time in a row.

The woman, a kindly black haired woman smiles a little sympathetically. "My guess...? Well sweetie, you're exhausting yourself and the body has _limits_ – you're probably not producing much milk and getting it is taking him way, way more effort. I'm not saying to give up on nursing entirely, but you do need to give your body time to catch up. Let's try a bottle of formula for Aaron here, and if it works I suggest you go back to your room, eat as big and healthy a meal as you can stand and then you sleep for a solid eight hours. If you do, I'm betting your body will make up for lost time and your next attempt will go much better.

Pepper nods a bit numbly. There is something about failing at such a basic function that leaves her completely floored, though through the self pity she is able to see the nurse is absolutely right. She needs sleep more than anything else right now. Her exhaustion is not only unnecessary, it's also now affecting her entire family and making her all but useless to her son in the way she can best help him.

After she finishes feeding Aaron, the nurse gently but resolutely reclaims her son and Pepper stands up on shaky legs to watch him be put back to bed. She barely even notices when someone comes up behind her and braces her.

It isn't even so much that she is preoccupied as it is that she knows it's Tony. He's everywhere these days, doing everything he can do while she's basically ignored him.

"All right, Love. Time for a food and then a serious nap, right now - and no more arguing about it." He uses the voice he'd used on the phone the other day: the one that usually earns him immediate compliance if only because of long career-based habit. Then he stoops and sweeps her up, carrying her carefully back to their private room.

"You're going to sleep for a minimum of eight hours, Pepper," he informs her as he walks, "because I got seven hours of sleep last night, plus a two hour long nap less than an hour ago. So it's my turn to take care of feeding Aaron when I'm not working on my math."

"Working on your math?" Pepper murmurs as she rests her head against his shoulder. She honestly has no idea what he has been doing with his time. Yes, he's visited Aaron whenever she does ever since he woke this morning, and he naps when she does – or at least while she tries. Beyond that however she has no _clue_ what he's been doing or even thinking about, despite his occasional attempts to fill her in.

"Yeah – for work. The PR mess is mostly straightened out, and legal's got the fires damped for now. I had Jarvis send me the latest specs they're having trouble with – as a way to fill the time with something useful. And for the record: our R&D department is apparently newly populated by _idiots_. I solved two of their six main issues and faxed the corrections back within two hours of seeing the numbers." Tony's voice is half amused and half disgusted as he lays her in the hospital bed, and pulls a blanket up nearly to under her chin.

Levering the head of the bed up, he coaxes her through eating most of the sandwich, fruit cup and fruit shake that the nurse brings in a moment later. Finally, when she's just too tired to eat anything more, he moves the tray to one side and starts stroking a hand through the hair he pulls free from its messy ponytail. "Good job – can't have you disappearing on me. Now, do you need me to turn the lights off until you fall asleep?"

She nods, then tugs at his hand as he turns to turn them off. "Don't go, though, please come back and sit awhile. I've missed having you close."

He settles in a chair next to the bed. "I've been right here, Pepper, and I'm not going anywhere else for an hour at least. I figure once you fall asleep I'll head down to the NICU and continue my figuring in there, since you snore." His voice is teasing as he bends forward slightly to lightly kiss her forehead.

"I'm sorry," she says a little softly.

"For what?" He wrinkles his forehead.

"For not taking good advice. I didn't listen when everybody told me to slow down and now both you and Aaron are paying the price."

She's got that _tone_ in her voice. The one that's strained and just slightly…well, damp. He hurries to cut her off before the tears can start flowing. "Pepper, I'm worried about _you_ more than Aaron – everyone says he's doing incredibly well. As you know, his labs came back all good news and he's eating really well. The nurses say it's amazing. We just need to get you feeling as good as he does and then I'll start feeling a little bit better."

"I know, I know. It's just...I haven't felt this out of control since I left LA," she murmurs softly, keeping her eyes closed so she doesn't have to see his reaction as she mentions the way she separated them. "I didn't want to be pregnant. I never got used to it, or even tried to. But now I don't like _not_ being pregnant. It's been too much I think…I just don't know how to feel anymore."

"There's been a huge amount of change in your life in a matter of days, Pepper." His voice is soft and soothing, and so nice to listen to. It does more to relax her than anything else. "Your mind and your body are both going to need some time to adjust. But I think you'll find the transition easier on everyone if you're not endangering yourself trying to do everything. You have a family who wants to help you, so try occasionally to let us."

She nods and sighs, because he's right, and because the incident in the nursery has already shown her the consequences of rejecting help when she obviously needs it. Besides, Aaron's not the only concern she has – she's also been neglecting her husband's needs as well.

"How are you doing? What did the tests say? Are there still reporters camped out front, or is that finally under control?" She asks because she knows Tony won't really relax if he knows there's still any lingering threat to his family.

"Yes, the press is still lingering, but they're behaving themselves for the moment. Probably because I made a statement earlier that we'll release official pictures later in connection with a fundraiser for charity, once it's safe for Aaron to leave the NICU." Tony smirks, "I also made some pretty intimidating promises about what Stark legal would do to anyone who tried to get pictures or information through any other means." Tony runs a hand through her hair again, massaging deeply into a skull she hadn't even realized until now was aching. "My tests came back okay. They're keeping a very paranoid eye on me, but that's just doctors with a high profile patient on their hands. Stop worrying and sleep, Love. When you wake up, the world won't be anywhere near so overwhelming."

She nods and twines her fingers through Tony's, bringing his hand down so that she can rest her cheek against it. He's right about all the changes they've been through in less than a week. "You know, we've only been sleeping together for two days and its already weird sleeping by myself. I miss our decent sized bed."

His grip tightens around hers. "It won't be for much longer." He continues stroking her head until she falls into slumber.

* * *

When she wakes in a completely dark room hours later, Tony's not there, though there is a single flower by her pillow. The clock on the wall indicates almost nine and a half hours have actually passed.

"Jarvis, lights," she croaks, her throat dry from sleep, before she remembers that not only is her laptop not on - so she's not actually connected to Jarvis - but he wouldn't be able to turn on the lights even if he could hear her.

Her muscles are weak but no longer uncoordinated as she reaches out for the lamp by her bed. She switches it on and looks around the room before looking down at the flower on her pillow. There's a note wrapped around its stem. She picks up flower and note and crawls out of bed. In the small bathroom she fills a plastic cup with water and puts the flower in it before unrolling the note.

'Pep - Aaron's fine. He ate great and is now following his momma's example by taking a nap. I went out to get some dinner. Amelia mentioned that you'd been craving broccoli beef and I'm craving Asian myself. Take a shower and change into the new clothes your brother brought you. Love you. -T.'

She rolls her eyes but locates the bag from the house in the main room's front closet. Mick chose well - everything is soft and comforting but also nice enough looking that she doesn't feel like she's slumming. Hell, with a little bit of makeup and a brush she's probably even suitable for the press.

She's pretty sure the bright yellow Winnie the Pooh slippers with the ears still attached aren't something her brother had found in her closet though. She snorts a little as she lifts them up and studies them.

There's also a pair of smaller ones for Aaron – these Eeyore blue. The sight makes her teary when she finds them in the bottom of the bag.

"Interesting footwear...though a little bit small for you," a cheerful female voice teases. "Personally, I told him to go for the Tigger ones for Aaron, but Mick said the kid didn't need any encouragement to be hyperactive."

Pepper looks up to find Amelia standing in the doorway with a cup in one hand and a cardboard container of what smells like friend chicken in the other. The smell makes her mouth water, and she reminds herself that her husband is out currently getting her dinner and that it would be unforgivably rude to raid a hypoglycemic's supper...even if she is hungry enough to eat a entire _cow_ at the moment.

Amelia raises an eyebrow as Pepper's stomach rumbles hungrily.

"Tony's bringing dinner," Pepper says, though Amelia's just smiling knowingly.

"Then I'll steal some of yours when it comes. Have a seat." The woman pops open the cartoon to three veritable _piles_ of chicken, cole slaw and mashed potatoes. Pepper blinks at the sheer uneatable amount. Amelia groans and rolls her eyes at Pepper's stunned expression.

"Yes, I know and this was supposed to be just for me. Your brother thinks I've lost too much weight in the last six months. Meanwhile _he's_ the one who's lost almost twenty five pounds."

"Really? That much?" She doesn't see him that often. Though come to think of it her brother is looking a little bit scrawny. He's always been tall but she supposes she's blamed his longer hair for the way his face has seemed thinner the last couple of months. "Where is Mick, anyway?" Pepper pulls out a wing and starts pulling it apart. 'And for that matter how much of his life have you missed while you were avoiding your own?'

It's something she's going to have to pay some serious attention to in the next couple of weeks.

"Yes, that much. Which is ridiculous considering how much he cooks. But I noticed years ago that sometimes he makes enough food to feed the entire office when he gets stressed out and then doesn't actually _eat_ any of it himself. As for where he is right now: somewhere in the lobby trying to argue with the brick wall that is our regional director."

Amelia is smiling...almost evilly. "Dylan is the field agent who trained him… and if you think I was pissed by the way that he left, well at least I got a kiss before he took off." Amelia winks. "Dylan's got far less reason to forgive him."

Pepper smiles and pulls out a breast because let's face it, wings don't have much meat. "How did he know Mick was here? I assume you ratted him out?"

Pepper's glad: because she doesn't believe for a moment her brother wants to quit. Mick loves his job, or at least he used to, and he's good at it too, better than their father ever had been.

But then she supposes that Patrick Andrews had been a stellar example of how not to handle the stress in their lives.

"I let something slip when I called into the main office, yes..." Amelia confides. "Dylan's a good guy. Sort of the big brother from hell to both of us, which is saying something when you consider I have several real ones of my own to compare him with."

"Is Mick going to get in trouble for the cut and run he pulled?" Pepper asks, thinking about her own brief stint in jail. And who thought she'd ever be able to say that about herself? 'Oh, yeah, I did some time. Military prison you know…'

"Technically, no...he did all his required paperwork before he left. Luckily, he's also taken less of his required vacation time than I have in the pass seven years, which is why Dylan's refused so far to actually file it. Dylan just wants a better explanation of why he quit than Mick provided, not to mention by regulation Mick needs to finish at least one post mission therapy session before Dylan's letting him go anywhere." Amelia snorts "Good luck on getting him to do that - your brother loathes shrinks, which is _hilarious_ considering it's his _profession._"

'Physician heal thyself.' "Yes well, they always say that doctors make the worst patients."

Though apparently "they" had never seen Tony in full doctor-avoidance mode. Still, Pepper thinks she has a little leverage with her brother that may come in handy. After all, if Mick wants _her_ to get therapy she figures she can force him to attend at least one session of his own.

"I know this much, he has to get cleared as mentally fit if he really wants to leave." Amelia shrugs. "And to be honest, I'm not sure right now that he'll be able to pull that off." The CIA agent shakes her head. "You know, he's a really passive aggressive little _twerp_ sometimes."

"Yeah I know, just don't look at me for explanations about what it is that is bothering him," Pepper admits as she wipes her hands on a paper napkin. "I hate to admit it but I didn't know that he'd even _quit _until about two days ago, and we've been living together for six months."

Her brother had apparently recognized her need for a keeper and quite possibly used the fact as a way to avoid the issues in his own life. 'Not that he's going to be allowed to continue that habit much longer now that I'm actually aware of it.'

She's not starving anymore, but that only means she's starting to feel grungy. 'All of this is secondary to the here and now though.' "Look, I don't know when the boys will get back but I _smell_. Do you mind if I leave you alone out here and shower before they get back?"

Amelia shrugs. "Knock yourself out. Mick told me he'd find us once he and Dylan were done, so I figured if you don't mind I'd either keep you company or see what on your TV and eat my lunch."

"Be my guest." Pepper finds the remote under Tony's pillow and hands it over.

"Let's just hope there's something decent on TV."

The shower is heavenly and leaves her feeling renewed. When she gets back out into the main room, it's to find Tony, Mick and Amelia making wise cracks about the current episode of Mythbusters that's playing. The smell of beef and broccoli makes her stomach rumble. Pepper makes a beeline for the food.

There are two cartons set aside from what everyone else is munching on. When she opens them, one has her broccoli beef and the other has steamed brown rice. It all looks heavenly. She makes a mental note to canonize her husband if he keeps on doing this kind of thing on a regular basis.

As she's opening a pack of chopsticks, the bed settles slightly beside her, and a hand slides around her waist, pulling her in for a quick hug. "How are you feeling?" While she's not all that surprised to hear concern in Tony's voice, she is a little surprised by how _much_ anxiety there is.

It's like he expects her to be feeling a little sick or something. She wonders how bad she must have looked before she fell asleep to have him this concerned.

"I feel amazingly better," Pepper reassures him, taking a plate and scraping a decent sized pile of rice onto it before pouring the meat and vegetables over the top. "I'm a little shocked though, that I slept so long without even waking up to use the bathroom or anything."

"You were exhausted." The words should be comforting, but they're said almost as an excuse - for him - rather than an explanation. He's clearly hiding something.

"Tony?" Her eyes narrow slightly. "Is there something you want to tell me?" The look of guilt she gets in reply is all the answer she needs.

"You had them _drug_ me?" she asks, managing to mask the surge of alarm she feels as irritation.

"No." Tony is quick to defend himself. "The doctor was the one who ordered it, all I did was agree." He sighs, "You just weren't listening to _reason_ anymore, Pepper, and I decided that you being pissed about it later was preferable to you actually _collapsing_ from lack of adequate sleep." He cups her face in his hands and tilts his head towards her so that they have as much privacy as possible. "You're _important_, Pepper. You told me that you need me to take care of myself. Well the same's true when it comes to you. And if you won't take care of yourself, what options do I have? I need you at as close to one hundred percent as possible."

The seriousness of his expression deflates the self-defensive anger that is building. Because he's right; she had been perilously close to exhaustion, and she'd left him little or no choice but to fight a little dirty. He'd _tried_ to bring the subject up in other ways and she'd ignored him despite their earlier agreement about sharing the load.

'Still…' "You're right. Just...please don't do it again." Her hands fist in his shirt. "It makes me...uncomfortable...to know that people are doing things to me without my permission or ability to stop them." Her breathing is uneven, but she has to tell him why this bothers her, even if this is as close to explaining the truth of things as she can get.

His eyes narrow a little at that, though he makes no other comment. Instead he nods his head a little and leans forward to gently bump his forehead against hers. "How about this - I'll tell you directly if you're starting to act a little irrationally and in exchange, you let me be the boss every once in awhile?"

Her smile is lopsided. "I'm not sure you're always the best judge of sane behavior, Stark." But she rubs her nose against his in a way that shows he's forgiven.

"Yeah well, how about I have to have you brother's or Jarvis' agreement as well then? A second opinion essentially?"

Pepper wrinkles her nose. "Sure, like that will help," She looks over at Mick and rolls her eyes, "I mean most days he's more overprotective than you are."

"I resemble that remark," Mick says around a mouthful of eggroll, never taking his eyes off the TV.

Pepper rolls her eyes then presses her lips against Tony's cheek. "You want what's best for me. I know that. I'll try to start listening better."

"You two are giving me cavities," Mick mutters under his breath but he's smiling just a little, out of the corners of his mouth in between bites of food.

"I'll ignore him if you will," Tony whispers against her ear. His arms tighten around her because he needs her closer. Just for a moment he needs to hold her regardless of who's watching.

"I've been doing it regularly from the first day we met." It's a little odd, hugging like this in public, though Pepper imagines that with the right amount of time, she'll adjust.

Tony certainly does all he can to help her get used to it. Once she has her food, he sits behind her on her bed while she eats, his arms around her waist and his chin resting against the crown of her head. For awhile she shifts around restlessly because the casing of his reactor digs uncomfortably into the muscles between her shoulder blades, but she gives up searching for a more comfortable position when his arms start to loosen. For the time being, it's more important to her to be near him than it is to be perfectly comfortable.

To distract herself she looks at her brother. "So Mick...how did things go with Dylan?"

Tony's forehead wrinkles. "Who the heck is that?"

"His boss," Pepper explains patiently.

"Ex-Boss," Mick corrects her. "I'm retired. And why are you asking, Ginny? I mean you're married now. Isn't it kinda late to be angling for a date?" Mick's tone is just a little too light.

"A what?" Pepper and Tony ask at the same time, Pepper looking at him in confusion while Tony raises an eyebrow.

"Amelia didn't mention it?" Also too studied is Mick's tone of innocence. "Dylan is also the same Agent Johnson who had giant crush on Pepper – when she was still with the company…"

"Yeah well it's too late. She's already married me. And all but soldered a ring to my finger." Tony's voice is dry as he takes another bite of his cashew chicken.

"It seemed like the thing to do at the time," Pepper responds, but her eyes are narrowed at her brother. "You're trying to distract me," she accuses. "What is it you don't want to talk about?"

"Nothing. There's just not much to say." Mick shrugs and bites into another chicken leg. "He tried to talk me into coming back – giving it another try. I told him no. He whined about how many years he put into training me and I pacified him by telling him in a year or two I'd consider working freelance. In the meantime I promised to deliver a package to a friend for him since I'm headed to South America anyway."

"You're what?" Pepper nearly drops her plate. "Mick, you …you can't… South America? Why?!"

"Since when?" Amelia echoes at the same time, sounding eerily calm considering the situation.

"Since forever. I was originally headed there six months ago, but then I ran into Ginny at the house in Savannah when I stopped off there on the way, and I decided to delay the trip a bit so we could spend some time together." He looks at Pepper, "I mean it had been what Pepper – almost five and a half years since we'd last seen each other…?"

"Six. Why do you even want to go to South America?" Pepper asks again miserably, though she notes that Amelia's glaring at her former partner and she recalls their earlier conversation. About Mick needing therapy and not wanting to go.

It occurs to her then that she may still have an ace in the hole.

Mick puts down his food when he sees the uncertainty on Pepper's face, crossing the floor of the hospital room to squat down in front of her. "Hey hey _hey_...it's just a _vacation_, Sis. I _promise_. I will be coming back after a month or maybe two." Mick waits until she meets his eyes. "I just want to visit an old friend from grad school and maybe do some research for the restaurant I plan to open up once I get back and find a decent rental space somewhere in the outskirts L.A. I'm thinking someplace with a blend of Spanish and maybe Caribbean cuisine."

It's Amelia's turn to stare. "You're going to open up a restaurant in L.A?"

Mick only shrugs. "That's the plan - it's a competitive market but I'm not looking to set up shop in Malibu. I just want to be close enough to visit semi-regularly. There are other suburbs close by that will fit my starting budget just fine. Dad left me a ton of cash in his will and I've never even touched it. I figure if I use it now I can get something up and off the ground."

"Amelia said that your boss wanted you to go to a counseling session. I assume you're doing that before you go anywhere?" Pepper says the words flatly, because while Mick would make a wonderful cook, and would probably do just fine running a five star restaurant, this is _not_ the way to do it.

Running doesn't fix things. She's speaking from experience.

"Yes, Dylan okayed me getting it done here through someone I already know at the local field office. I'm scheduled Monday at two pm." Mick sighs at the looks that admission is earning him. "What?! You thought I'd refuse to go?"

"Frankly? Yes." Amelia says bluntly, but Mick ignores her for the moment continuing to look at his sister.

"Come on Ginny, give me a break. This is _me_. I practice what I preach more than I don't. You already know that. I'm sorry if the announcement was unexpected but you're about to start a brand new life...didn't it ever occur to you that I might be looking to do the same?"

Pepper searches his eyes and sees nothing but tired resolution. Her brother needs a vacation. Maybe he's running, but he's looking for a place to rest, not a place to hide.

She sighs. "I just don't like the thought of you someplace so far away."

Mick bumps her shoulder again, "Hell, you're a newlywed remember? Between that and readjusting to L.A. you probably won't even notice I'm gone before I actually get back."

"Two months," she says in warning. "Or else I'm sending Tony after you. In the suit. With a mallet."

Mick snorts. "I promise – exactly two months. And not only that but that I'll provide a you all with a contact number, in case you need to get in touch me. I mean honestly, it's a beach town in early summer. The most dangerous thing I'll be dealing with while I'm there is double strong margaritas."

Pepper snorts, but doesn't make any more objections. There's a few seconds of understanding silence between the siblings before she says, "I'd like having you closer to me. You're right, six years is way too long."

Mick nods and resumes his eating. "Yeah well that's sort of the point, Gin. Restaurants don't require long undercover assignments, so we'll regularly have a chance to see each other. Besides, it'll be nice to get some say in the way I'm dressing and talking again."

Pepper laughs in surprise, "No offense, Mick, but I've seen the way you choose to dress when no one is telling you how. It's not much of an advertisement."

Mick snorts. "I don't criticize your wardrobe, Ginny. Throw no stones at glass houses."

"Ha! A month ago you said I was what the Wicked Witch of the West would have looked like if she'd swallowed the house instead of been crushed by it. And then you started throwing clothes with 'color' into my shopping cart."

"Michael Andrews!" Amelia chastises. She turns to Pepper. "Did he _actually_ say that to you?!"

"Yes," Mick says unapologetically. "And I was right, so I refuse to take it back."

Tony can't help but agree, but he's prepared when Pepper's head spins around to look to him for help. After he blinks her hair out of his eyes, he smiles at her apologetically. "You do own a lot of 'neutrals', Pep."

She snorts in reply. "Yes, well with my coloring it's that or pastels. Which seriously? Somebody gag me, I'll stick to black."

"I seem to remember a pastel you looked _very_ good in," Tony murmurs into her ear mischievously.

"That was a jewel tone, not a pastel," Pepper says a little rebelliously. "Totally inappropriate for the office. You know what I meant." It doesn't stop her from shivering a little bit pleasantly from the memory.

"Oooh…I'm betting that somebody has just cursed herself with a mandatory trip to the tailor, when she gets back to L.A," Mick sing-songs a tad bit smugly. His sister does not look impressed. Unfortunately, it's probably true.

Especially considering how Tony starts chewing his lip at the suggestion.

"Hey - speaking of clothing..." Amelia says after a moment. "I forgot something for you down in the car...just give me a moment. I'll run down and grab it" She sets down her carton of food and quickly escapes the room.

"You're going to have to talk to her," Pepper says the moment the door swings shut. "Even if you honestly need a vacation…well it's clear that she loves you, Mick. You need to clear up a couple of things before you go. Hell, maybe she'll even want to come with."

Mick sighs. "You tend _your_ problems, Sis. I'm already working on mine." The statement isn't defensive as much as teasing, but Pepper's shocked to see the walls that are starting to rise rapidly behind her brother's normally warm brown eyes.

"You nagged me for _months_ about how I should call Tony. I think I occasionally get to drop hints," she mutters rebelliously, though she lets the subject drop for the moment.

They sit and eat in silence for about five minutes, during which Mick studiously looks at no one. Amelia returns, finally, handing her a tissue filled gift bag.

She shrugs apologetically. "I didn't get time to wrap it, so I hope this will do."

"I never criticize presents, in any shape or form. It's rare that I get them." Pepper sticks her tongue out at Tony and lays out the contents across the bed one at a time. The first item is a bib which reads simply, "I only cry when ugly people hold me."

Pepper laughs and pulls the next item out. It's a small blue zip sweatshirt that reads, "Future superhero," and has pictures of Superman, Batman, and Robin on its front.

She holds it up for Tony to see, because she knows he'll have a comment. "Not till he's eighteen," Tony murmurs under his breath. "Or possibly older if I can find a country to move us to where the legal majority is twenty-one."

"Good luck with that, Stark." Mick rolls his eyes. "With your track record you are totally screwed the moment that the munchkin hits puberty."

"No I'm not," Tony says a little rebelliously. "I'm the perfect example of what not to do. Besides, with any luck he'll take after his mother."

Mick snorts in disbelief. "You want him smart-mouthed while wearing leather skirts and a tongue ring? You may have a largely false impression of Pepper as a kid, Stark. She went through a _major_ rebellious phase at age fifteen."

Pepper snorts right back. "I've never worn a leather skirt in my life. I did have a dirty mouth, though."

Tony waits, than raises an eyebrow when Pepper doesn't deny having had a tongue ring. _There's_ something he's going to have to gently tease her about later.

It's not the appropriate time now, though, so he takes the clothes Pepper's pulled out of the bed and sets them aside as she pulls out a light green onesie. This one says, "perfect (just like my dad)". He rests his chin on Pepper's shoulder. "See, now there's the kind of respect I deserve."

"Personally I think that one's a little bit more appropriate," Mick points to the last item that Pepper produces. It reads "I'm well adjusted really, when you consider my parents."

Amelia snorts then speaks to Pepper. "You know, you really _do _have the figure for wearing leather...unlike me. We should have a ladies night out when you feel up to it, go out dancing or something...escape the inevitable testosterone."

Pepper can _feel_ Tony's reaction to the idea of her in leather in a way that leaves her both breathless and clueless. She hasn't ever found herself in a position where she _likes_ that someone's aroused by her. "I might have to take you up on that," she murmurs as she slowly puts the clothes away.

It's something to do that will hide the fact that she doesn't know if she should move closer to Tony or give him some space.

"Thank you so much for these. I still haven't had time to go shopping for Aaron yet. There's so much I need to buy still, though I don't know when I'll find the time."

Amelia shrugs. "Where I come from it's bad luck _not _to bring a new mama gifts. Besides, none of my sisters-in-law have this kind of sense of humor. If you like this kind of stuff then I can show you a website - the store had a _huge _catalogue of additional items online."

"Shopping online. That's a much more attractive idea than leaving the hospital right now. I don't think I'm ready to handle the crowd outside yet." Pepper stifles a yawn.

"Yeah the crowds are looking pretty nasty." Amelia rolls her eyes. "Though the sheer number of rumors that are passing around out there is almost comically hilarious. They actually think the kid's like...part _metal_ or something. The masses watch too much sci-fi."

"I trust that's one of the rumors running on the front cover of the Enquirer and not the cover of US Weekly." Pepper takes a sip of water, and then her eyes widen. "Oh my gosh!"

"What's wrong?" Tony's arms tighten around her immediately and the on edge alertness in his voice makes Pepper blush in embarrassment.

"Nothing," she explains sheepishly. "I just realized… I can drink _coffee_ again." She's practically drooling at the thought.

"Theoretically, yes - though you might want to talk to the doctor first," Amelia warns after a moment. "After all you are breast feeding, and somehow I don't think a caffeinated preemie is as funny as a caffeinated toddler."

Pepper sighs and tries to forget about coffee again. The way Tony's trying to hide breathy laugher behind her back isn't helping. She turns and pokes him in retribution. "Yeah, laugh it up, Chuckles. I know you miss caffeine as much as I do."

Tony snorts. "You assume I never _get_ any. I'm more talented than you think at sneaking contraband when no one is looking. I've got bottled lattes stashed all over the place."

It's at that moment Pepper notices what she hasn't until now. A bulky spot under Tony's sleeve that she hadn't realized was there. An accusing point of her finger makes him sigh and haul the material up to reveal a saline locked IV.

"What," she demands, "is this about? Just what did your tests say?" 'How long has that been there?!'

"I'm _fine_," he reiterates with a sigh. "My electrolytes are just a little borderline. They gave me pills to correct it yesterday and an IV today when things didn't improve as quickly as they had hoped for. If the newest batch of blood work comes back normal, then the Doc says I can finally lose the software." He taps the locked IV.

"Hardware," Pepper corrects under her breath. She scowls at him, then she sighs. Because it's not as if she's given him a whole lot of time to take care of himself lately, or been a stellar example of multi-tasking. She's done virtually nothing but visit the NICU, eat and sleep.

And speaking of that... "Do you guys want to go see Aaron?" she asks Mick and Amelia. Because she does almost desperately: ten hours is way too long to go without seeing her child.

Besides, she acknowledges, given the fullness in her breasts, she either needs to pump or her son needs to eat.

Tony grins. "Actually…" he pushes the nurse button, "we have a little surprise for you, now that you've finally woken up."

Three minutes later the nurse wheels in her son in a wheeled bassinet, beeping monitor in tow. "Oh my god." Pepper climbs off the bed and hurries over. "Is this alright? This isn't going to hurt him, is it?" Her questions are probably directed at the nurse, though it's hard to tell because she never takes her eyes off Aaron.

"He still needs to spend nights in the NICU, and he's got to keep the tubes and alarm monitors attached, but he's doing unbelievably well so we're stepping him up..." The nurse looks her up and down and smiles. "You are looking _miles_ better, dear. I take it your extended nap did you some good?"

"Like I had any choice but to let it?" Pepper carefully scoops Aaron up. His eyes are wide open, though it's hard to tell what he's looking at. Maybe there's just more to hear in this room than in the NICU. "Hey there, baby boy," she croons as she holds him close.

Her son is swaddled tightly, and she looks at the nurse. "Can I unwrap him...I mean, will it knock anything loose that needs to stay put?"

The nurse smiles a little. "No, but to warn you, he may fuss about it a bit at first. Most newborns prefer to be wrapped up really tight - probably reminds them of the womb." She gestures to the clothing on the bed. "Though I'd hold off on the onesies if you're wanting to change what he's wearing. We prefer stuff that doesn't have to go over the head if you have clothes from home you want to put him in."

Pepper glances away. "Umm...actually, besides the stuff we brought you yesterday, those are all the clothes we have for him right now. I wasn't prepared for any of this _at all_."

The nurse smiles a little. "Honey, you delivered unexpectedly at seven months. If you'd had everything by now you would have been doing better than me. I was so superstitious with my first child that I didn't set up the nursery until two weeks before my due date."

Amelia snorts. "Hey at least you're not as bad off as my Mom was when I was born. After seven boys she'd given up on ever having a girl, and the ultrasound image identified my gender incorrectly. She and Dad nearly had a _stroke _when I was born."

Pepper's shoulders visibly relax as she accepts that she's not the first new mother to be caught unprepared. "I'll keep what you said in mind while I shop," she tells the nurse as she sits down on the bed. "When did he last eat, if I might ask?"

"Almost three hours. He's probably getting pretty hungry."

Mick stands. "And that would probably be my cue to go."

The nurse snorts, "Unlikely, young man. She's learned by now like every new mom the effectiveness of a carefully draped blanket." She hands one to Pepper from the closet and a moment later Aaron is noisily eating.

"You are such a little pig." Tony chuckles at his son's happy squirms.

"Don't discourage him. That's why he's doing so well." The nurse scolds him and then she looks to Pepper. "Hey - we have a couple of resources at the desk including a page full of websites geared specifically toward preemies. Would you like me to get the list?"

"That would be great, thank you." Pepper smiles, then looks back down at her son.

The nurse smiles again then turns to leave. She gets as far as the doorway before she turns to face them again. "Oh and one more thing: Security called up and there's a gentleman downstairs who'd very much like to come up and see you, even though he's not on your initial guest list. He says he's one of the board members for Stark Industries?"

"Did he leave a name? A business card? Anything that confirms his claim?" Tony asks as he gets off the bed.

"Walsh, I believe was the name he provided. He sent up a note, just in case." She pulls an envelope out of her pocket and passes it over.

Tony scans it quickly, a grin breaking out on his face. "Yeah, it's Walsh all right. And this isn't for me, Pep. I'd say it's definitely for you."

He hands over the note which reads. 'Two days since you found him, Mrs. Stark, and three projects finally back on track…let me come upstairs. Please, so I can _kiss you_!'

Pepper lets out a surprised burst of laughter. Apparently her suspicions that most of the board was going to welcome her back with open arms hadn't been far off the mark. "Yeah, he can come up." Pepper tucks the note in her pocket, intending to save it. This stay has been stressful, and probably won't get easier. But she'd like to remember that there's good things coming out of it.

Well, good things other than her son.


	15. Chapter 15

Five minutes later Jack Walsh comes through the door with two bags in one hand and a giant assortment of Charles Schultz's Peanuts balloons in the other. The grin on his face just makes Pepper think what she always does when she finds herself alone with the older gentleman: he's exactly what Tony's going to be twenty years from now.

His hair is mostly silver, yes, but Jack Walsh is full of energy and an arrogant charm that she thinks comes from having shot down too many fighter planes in Vietnam without being shot down in return. In addition to being a fighter pilot, he'd spent a number of years as a test pilot, and worked with NASA on a few projects so it isn't as if his confidence is due to a mental deficiency. He just knows _exactly _what he was worth. What makes that arrogance bearable - where Tony's sometimes hadn't been - is that he also knows the worth of those _around_ him and he's always taken great pains to make sure they knew it too.

"Hello to the lovely new mama. Tony, you're officially a rich, _lucky_ bastard." He hands his bags over to Tony as he leans in and presses dry kisses to both of Pepper's cheeks, making her blush a fiery red.

Then he puts his hands on his hips and studies the child who's finished nursing.

"You resemble your mother, boy. It looks like the heavens granted you one small mercy at least."

"I like him," Mick mutters just loud enough for Pepper to turn her head and glare at him.

"Be good," she growls back softly before she turns back to her guest. "Mr. Walsh, it's good to see you again."

Walsh smiles and shakes his head. "Call me Jack, please, Honey. If I can get away with calling you Pepper in return. Assuming that's okay with Tony. I know it's a privilege not lightly stolen from your husband at the office. Though maybe if we're completely honest with ourselves we should start referring to Tony here as Mr. Potts. Especially considering how happy we all are to have you back."

"I think Pepper will do just fine," Pepper says a little dryly. "It would be too much of a pain to change all the letterhead. Besides, 'Potts Industries' might give investors the wrong idea." Beside her Tony snorts. She elbows him, then takes the balloons that Walsh...no _Jack_...is still holding. As she sets them on the table, she remembers her manners and introduces the Mick and Amelia as her brother and a family friend, which is probably the truth now and as far as she can explain things without making the room uncomfortable really fast.

"Well, don't just stand there, open your presents," Jack insists after he's shaken hands with Mick and Amelia. "I promised my wife a full report back on what you think."

She blushes again. "Well okay. If you insist."

The first bag reveals a gift for her...a wonderfully soft fuzzy robe that's both feminine and yet perfectly comfortable. The second gift holds a present for Aaron - a baby blanket hand-quilted in soft greens and blues.

Jack smiles as she holds it up. "Both of these are from my wife Anna and I, along with an invitation to dinner eventually. Though I warn you she's probably looking to shoplift your baby occasionally, now that our own youngest grandchild is now 'too big' for cuddling."

Pepper carefully places the quilt to one side, her hand caressing it as if she's reluctant to put it down. It's such a...intimate gift, she supposes. Something families give. "We'd love to come to dinner," she says softly as she forces herself to look up. "It'll be a few months though. We probably won't leave Savannah until autumn even though Aaron is doing pretty well…"

Jack's face grows solemn. "I understand." He looks down at her son again. "My youngest granddaughter, Amy, came at six and a half months unexpectedly, scaring us all nearly to death in the process."

Pepper nods her understanding. "Do you mind if I ask what you're doing all the way out here? Did you just come to visit, or is there a meeting in New York to discuss what to do with Tony now? I know this must seem like a huge bomb to drop. We'd hoped to let the board know before the media got a hold on things."

Walsh's face is slightly bemused. "I came out here, Mrs. Stark, because my friend just got married and I wanted to offer both him and his bride my congratulations and wishes for a happy married life, and to get a sneak peek at the next heir to Stark Industries."

"Yes, well, just because you're so understanding doesn't mean that other people might not have the less pure motives for coming to see us." Pepper's lips quirk upwards. "I'm sure the word's out by now that no pre-nups were filed. Which means that no matter how relieved the majority of the board might be that Tony's back at work, they're also panicked at the thought of how this could effect things." She starts to rewrap her squirming son. "You can tell them not to worry. We were working on a pre-nup but then premature labor just got in the way. We'll have the lawyers draft up something post-nuptially just as soon as we can."

"We'll do it when you've had some time to recover, Pepper, and not a moment before. Though I remind you, I still get to set the terms." Tony wraps his arm around Pepper's waist and reinserts himself into the conversation. "In the meantime, Walsh, tell R&D I'll be sending along occasional notes, and give my hellos to the board."

"Anything else I should tell them?" Walsh asks him in amusement.

Tony shrugs, "You're free to pass along the news that Pepper and I are both happy and healthy, that both of us are taking a look at the work that's piled up while she was pregnant, and that in return for their support during this difficult time we'll try to keep everyone informed of our plans. That however is all that I'm promising at the moment."

Jack nods a little. "Fair enough to begin with. Though to be completely honest I'm also supposed to try my hardest to arrange a few video conference calls between you both and the whole board within the next several weeks. They understand that you can't come back to LA or New York yet, but given the new situation...well there are inevitable questions, not to mention a great deal of natural curiosity."

Tony frowns at that and shakes his head. "As soon as Pepper and I have left the hospital and brought Aaron home with us, I will find the time to make a couple of conference calls. But until then we both need to focus on ourselves and our son. They've muddled along adequately without me so far, they can do so for another month at least."

Jack nods then sighs. "Officially, I'm a little disappointed. Personally, I completely understand. Family comes first."

"Just remind everyone I'm still recovering from a heart attack. That should lighten their enthusiasm to get me straight back to work." Tony's voice carries a heavy dose of irony, which has Pepper sliding her arm around his waist to lend her emotional support.

"Speaking of which…" Walsh looks at Pepper. "You husband has been giving our doctors and Colonel Rhodes the run around. Is he progressing in his recovery?"

"Right here..." Tony mutters under his breath. Pepper just rubs his side consolingly while she replies. "Better. He's doing so much better than he was even three days ago. He's been getting lots of sleep which has helped a lot I think."

Walsh nods at that. "I don't doubt for a minute we've got your presence to thank for that. You can't begin to imagine how much you've been missed the last six months." He looks down at Aaron again. "Though at the same time I think I understand why you may have thought for safety reasons it was best for you to leave."

"Speaking of which," Tony interjects. "Happy and I are already talking about how this is going to change certain elements of security. He's going to start interviewing potential body guards for her and Aaron sometime a little later this week."

"What do you mean 'he's' going to interview prospective bodyguards?" Pepper asks a bit sharply, forgetting their audience as she narrows her eyes at Tony.

Tony stares at her for a moment, completely taken aback by this mood change. "I thought you trust Happy."

Pepper rolls her eyes. "Of course I do. That's not the issue. What I hope you forgot to mention is that you and I will be interviewing the final set of candidates for Aaron's bodyguard personally."

Tony snorts. "That was assumed for both of you, Pepper. Happy's just vetting the first tier...because unless Mick or Amelia have any other semi-retired agents in their back pockets to give us, we're going to have to take general applications. And I figure we have better things to do the next few weeks than deal with the flood of applicees."

"Mick? Amelia?" Pepper looks at the two very seriously. "We have an impressive health plan. Drop that hint to anyone you know who's ready for a career change who you think could be trusted."

It's unfortunate that Secret Service members rarely retire, Pepper thinks regretfully....

Mick shrugs. "I'll keep it in mind. Hell, I'd offer to watch over Aaron myself...except body guarding family members is a huge conflict of interest."

Amelia snorts. "You're not getting any of mine. We're short-staffed at the regional already. Though I suppose I could talk to my older brothers...three are current or ex military intelligence and they could probably recommend some possibilities." She shrugs then. "Though the other choice Stark, is for you to start actually acknowledging my bosses again and they'd probably assign you three active agents. After all, you and your family's safety have tremendous impact on our national security."

Pepper can feel Tony tense next to her. If the whole "arrest" thing weren't enough to keep him from acknowledging the CIA - which it is - she now knows from Happy that Tony's got other reasons for keeping invested agents outside his home.

"Thank you for the offer," Pepper says before Tony can reply. She doesn't think he'd be rude, but she's not sure he'd be any kind of polite either. "We'll keep it in mind. For the time being though I think we're going to try to work through independent contractors." She gently rubs her thumb back and for against Tony's hip. The CIA thing is something they're going to have to talk about eventually.

Well…something _more_, rather.

Amelia looks at Tony a minute, and nods her head. "If that's what you feel you have to do, then I understand. But just so you know, Stark, things have changed a lot in the family within the past fifteen years. And as for people like Gretchen Carlyle... well let's just say that off the record, Siberian prisons are very, very cold..."

Pepper blinks at that and tries not to feel incredibly self satisfied. Tony though only nods sharply and turns his head. The apologetic smile he gives Walsh is just a little forced. "Sorry to bore you with family politics," he jokes.

Walsh snorts. "And to think I always believed you and Pepper here were both only children."

"Depending on Mick's behavior, that might still be an option." As Tony jokes his public face becomes more and more natural. "If he keeps making smart comments about Aaron, I'm not sure I'll be able to hold her back from fratricide."

"Yeah, same goes for you, Stark," Pepper drawls. "At least Mick doesn't whine when I smack him."

"I never said the kid was a _bad looking_ little red-headed monkey," Mick says in his own self defense. "He looks a little like a Red Titi – which I happen to think are adorable."

"And all I said was that Aaron's an...enthusiastic...eater." Tony smiles and brushes his lips against Pepper's temple.

Pepper looks at Walsh, a little embarrassed by the display. "Report to the board that I may suffer diabetic shock from all this sugary goodness, but that should fade with the passage of time."

Walsh snorts. "Just make him pay in diaper changes. He'll learn to curb his smart remarks soon enough."

Pepper laughs softly. "Sounds like karmic justice to me. After all the years I've had to deal with his BS..." She slyly glances at Tony as she bites at her bottom lip.

"Hey!" Tony protests indignantly.

Pepper laughs and settles into his side, a small smile on her face.

Walsh looks at them both and then pulls something silver out of his pocket. "Actually, if you don't object, I'd like to make a short 'home video' to reassure the board... I think anyone would have a hard time arguing with the wisdom of this if they saw you both now. And they'll stop clamoring for a first look at your little one."

Pepper looks down at her self and then her baby self consciously. "I...you promise that this will be only for the board? Because we've had some trouble already with media getting into computer systems they shouldn't." She doesn't want to end up seeing that kind of footage on CNN or the FOX New Channel.

"When's the board meeting?" Tony asks, taking his turn to tighten his arm around Pepper reassuringly.

"Tomorrow. And if you're not comfortable with this -"

"Your laptop's hooked up to Jarvis, right Pepper?" Pepper glances at Tony and nods. "We could upload the video to Jarvis's system," he explains softly. "He in turn can play it through any system he has access to. Including the board rooms in LA and New York. But the files would be saved at the house, and no one is _ever _going to hack those."

"You want to do this?" Pepper asks in a voice even quieter than his.

Tony lips quirk. "Can you blame me for wanting to brag a little, Pep? Like Mick said, no one's saying Aaron's a _bad_ looking monkey..."

"Anthony Stark!" She starts laughing in spite of herself. "Stop comparing our son to _any_ non-human." Then she looks at Walsh. "We'll get a video hello uploaded from all three of us as soon as we can clean up a little. Tony's right, anyway, we can't avoid the media forever."

Walsh nods and tucks his phone away. "I'll leave you two to it then. I'm sure you're both still exhausted." He stands up and holds his hand out. Pepper shakes it and blushes again as he kisses her cheek one last time. Tony gets off the bed though and offers to see the older man out. Pepper thinks she might know what he intends to do and her stomach twists just a little. There's being welcomed back to the fold, and there's being thrown out for straying. And god, she wishes that they could just lie to everyone, or let everyone assume that what they think was true, but she can't be handing over that kind of ammunition.

Besides, if Tony is going to tell Walsh about Aaron's paternity then she can't really tell him not to. It's...well, responsible. It's one of those things board members get riled about being left out of. One of those things that have the potential to make stock drop or soar depending on how it's handled.

Much better to have the truth out there, even if it hurts her. Besides, Tony's desire for fatherhood is beautiful and deserves to be acknowledged for what it is.

"You okay?" Mick's quiet voice startles her out of her reverie She looks up to find him looking at her with eyes that are far to knowing.

"Just...hesitant I guess, to see things keep changing so fast. They've done so much of that already."

Her brother smiles. "You know, not all change is necessarily bad. Some times it's the only way to go on." He squeezes her hand and then leans in to hug her gently.

She sighs and admits her greatest concern. "You know how people can be, Mick. How stupid and judgmental. I just don't want to see Aaron hurt because of people who decide to judge me."

Amelia, who's sitting across the room, chimes in softly. "In my experience at least children are only hurt by bigots like that if their parents teach them to care what idiots say in the first place."

Amelia pauses, than blushes. "Okay I guess I could have said that a little more politely..."

"You think?" Mick snorts. "If Stark had been in the room, I at least could have played off it, but it seems unfair to pick on a guy who's not in the room." Mick pulls back a little and meets Pepper's eyes. "You're going to do just fine, Ginny. Once you're home again, you're going to be too busy feathering your nest, being a mother hen, and henpecking your husband to even care what idiots have to say."

Pepper just blinks at her brother though, because impolite or not...well Amelia is probably right.

Tony had actually said something similar earlier...the day they talked about her mother. It's a little strange somehow, to hear that same sentiment back now when he's not even in the room. How had he put it again? "People who judge other with no mercy and no understanding are of no concern to me"?

She didn't understand at the time how he could be so apparently flippant. But now…well she's a _mother_ now, and some things are making more sense.

Her son is innocent in all of this. Aaron...well he's perfect. And anyone who's going to try to imply otherwise...well they can just go to _hell._

Because it's not fair to blame a child for something they have no control over.

"Thanks," she tells them both as she shifts Aaron in her arms. Mick's eyes light up for a moment as he watches, and she smiles. "Getting baby envy?" she teases him lightly. Yes, she's selfish; yes, she could hold her son for hours - easily. But it also makes her...happy...

to decide to hand Aaron off to his uncle for the first time.

"Baby envy? Me?" Mick snorts, though he takes the child easy enough when she hands him over. "Pepper, I am _anything_ but the fatherly kind."

"Could have fooled me," she mutters as she watches anxiously. "Didn't you try to ground me once?"

"I was young and idealistic then. Unclehood suits me better. It's considerably more hip. Not to mention it requires far less regular contact with things like dirty diapers." Aaron fusses a little and Mick subtle shifts his grip, lifting him upright to lean against his chest. "No screaming, munchkin. You're not a howler monkey."

"Is it even worth fighting you over the monkey thing? Because if I have a chance of winning, I'll keep complaining."

"Pepper, I called you 'Rabbit' until you were sixteen years old. Is 'Monkey' really any worse?"

"No." Amelia interjects with a snort. "But I hope she called you 'Ass' in retribution."

"Actually half the time it was 'wascally wabbit,' and I might have called him things considerably worse than 'ass' in return,'" Pepper admits a little self-consciously. "I had quite a vocabulary when...when I was younger."

"Yeah, but you almost never used it when my mum was around, which meant that when you did swear she always assumed that you'd heard it from me." He shakes his head. "I spent half my childhood being repeatedly grounded."

"I was _ten_, Mick. I wasn't stupid," Pepper says scornfully. "You think I didn't have your mother's number within five minutes of coming in the door?"

"What was or is she like?" Amelia asks a little curiously. "Mrs. Andrews, I mean. I met your Dad once...years ago, but Mick never talks about his mom at all."

Mick and Pepper look at each other. Pepper answers before Mick can. "She's...proper. And I'm sure she had good intentions when I came to live there. It's just that her... execution...of those intentions could have used considerably more thought."

"Mum's very big into what other people think, Mel. Probably too much so. Which is why I'm guessing you'll never meet her, and probably be happier because of it." He sighs and shifts. "I came clean to her about several of my lifestyle choices before I started college. Since then, well she prefers not to see me but maybe once a year."

The narrowing of Amelia's eyes tells Pepper exactly what Amelia thinks of that, though Pepper really isn't surprised.

Mick's not made any effort to hide his bisexuality since he was eighteen. If his partner didn't know about his varied love life, it would have to be because she was willfully clueless.

"Janice and I were never particularly close," Pepper adds. "After her reaction to Mick's trusting her with the truth, well there wasn't much of a chance of that changing." She rubs Aaron's cheek with the back of one finger, marveling at how soft and warm his skin is. "It's a little sad. She's Aaron's only surviving grandparent."

"That kind of grandparent, he can probably do without." Amelia looks at Mick sympathetically. "Did…did your_ dad_ ever know?"

Mick nods. "I knew by sixteen. And he wasn't as good as Mom at ignoring the obvious. He was anything but happy...but when he tried to chew me out I told him to fuck off – that he had no room to judge. The results of his own choices had at that point lost him the right to have any right to an opinion about mine."

"We really didn't have a good parent between us," Pepper says dryly. "Lucky for me, Tony had great parents and we balance each other well."

"My dad and brothers may have had no clue what to _do_ with a girl after my mom died, but at least they tried." Amelia snickers. "Though I'm sure between their reputations and my black belt which I got in self defense it's entirely their fault that I didn't date until I got into college across the country from the rest of them."

"How many brothers do you have?" Pepper asks curiously.

"Seven." Amelia looks like she's taking count of a particularly embarrassing number of facial warts.

"Don't tell Tony. You're fairly well adjusted and he'll take it as encouragement. I'm already worried about his plans for the future. He doesn't like to do things halfway. What that means for fatherhood kinda terrifies me."

"Pepper, I admit to wanting at least two...but that's just because I know better than any of you that being an only child gets lonely." Tony's voice makes them all turn around, he's standing in the doorway with a look of utter bemusement on his face.

"That said...we could handle eight I think. It's not like we don't have the space and resources."

Amelia snorts. "Sure, Stark...easy for you to say you're not the one who'd have to carry any of them. My suggestion Pepper, is if he wants that many you agree to two, and then make him invent a way to carry the rest himself."

Pepper tries to share Amelia's amusement, except the thing is, she's not sure Tony's kidding. Dreaming, maybe, but not kidding.

Mick carefully shifts Aaron in his arms. "By my estimation, Aaron here has about twenty minutes until he's gotta be returned. So I think it's time Amelia and I go find the nearest YMCA since she agreed to spar with me a little, and we'll let you guys get some time alone with your kid."

Pepper nods at that, in surprising relief.

Still, she doesn't want to come off as ungrateful. "Thank you for the present," Pepper tells Amelia sincerely. "I can't tell you how much the clothes are appreciated."

Amelia smiles and retrieves her coat and slid it on before reaching back into the closet for Mick's. "Thanks for the company and help eating all of that chicken."

"What can I say? After living with Mick for six months, I'm well trained at eating what's put in front of me. Or anywhere near me. Or I think might be suggested I eat." Pepper returns the brotherly kiss she gets from Mick with a hug. "See you tomorrow."

He brother hugs her back and kisses her cheek again before shrugging on his coat. "I'm driving on the way home, Wright."

Amelia snorts. "Sure Andrews, you go right on believing that if it will you feel better."

"She's a terror," Mick tells Pepper softly. "Get some sleep. Or even better, make a move on your husband. It'll make you feel better."

Pepper's red hot blush is the only answer he needs.

She watches Mick and Amelia leave, wondering just how many words Amelia's going to have to knock free of her brother's mouth before he talks to her. That South America comment hadn't just been a conversational bomb, it had been an obvious prelude to him getting his ass kicked. She doesn't know Amelia well, but somehow she doesn't think the woman is going to take her brother spinning this web of future plans that don't seem to include her lying down.

Which may be good because her brother is obviously in denial and may _need_ some sense kicked into him. She acknowledges wryly that if that's what it takes, Amelia has her full blessing. After all she wants Mick to be happy in the way she's happy…though Mick's observation that she could be happier might be accurate. Nerve-wracking, but accurate.

'Well, nerve-wracking when Tony's not holding Aaron,' she corrects. Tony holding their son, being completely occupied with said baby to the point of barely acknowledging her, is actually kinda...sexy.

"So...you saw Walsh out..." she says conversationally as she pulls off the standard white hospital robe she'd been wearing and trades it for the luxurious chenille one Walsh and his wife gave her before she sits back down.

"Wanted to make sure we know everything we need to...that there's nothing less... wholesome going on behind the scenes. I trust Walsh to be up front with us about potential problems. He was the whole time you were gone." Tony settles Aaron back in the wheeled bassinet and smiles at the infant, who is fighting a losing battle with sleep.

Then he sits down on the edge of her bed and pets the space beside him invitingly. She sits, a bit closer than she usually does voluntarily. "I like watching you with him."

His eyes don't shift from their son but his arm settles around her waist and he hums a little, fingering the soft fabric appreciatively.

"What did Walsh say? Any surprises?" This really shouldn't be as hard as it is, but it is. It's not as if she has pregnancy as an excuse to keep her chaste anymore. Still doesn't mean Mick wasn't right though. In a month or so - six weeks if Tony's super cautious - they're going to have to address some physical issues head on. And it's not as if she doesn't like touching him.

To prove it, she starts running a hand up and down his back in broad strokes, pressing lightly at the knots she can feel just under his skin even though to the naked eye he looks pretty relaxed.

"There are apparently a few board members talking a good game in public, but in private they are seriously _pissed_ at the way my having an heir may affect the power balance in the company." Tony groans in what can only be pleased relief when she finds one particularly sore spot beneath his shoulder blade and exerts just a little more pressure.

"Here, slip this off." She tugs at the collar of his t-shirt. Talking about business has to trump being half naked. "I understand that in theory, but not in practice. You haven't really been grooming anyone to follow in your footsteps. And even if you do leave Aaron all your stock options, that doesn't guarantee that he'll want anything to do with running the company. Hell, it might even help them that you have an heir. After all, if we ever did have _more_ than one child, then they'll presumably get equal share of all your assets, and unless they stand together, that breaks your current monopoly grip on the company."

'Hell, the board may be as eager for us to have multiple children as Tony is for that exact reason,' Pepper blinks in shocked realization.

Tony isn't done talking though. "Pepper, before Aaron was born I never had anyone to leave anything to, so the board apparently assumed that my shares and research would fall back under company control if I were to die. Aaron's existence changes the game considerably." 'And makes many of them potentially much less wealthy men.'

Tony doesn't want to think about what that implies about the board's recent lack of complaint about his refusal to hand over specs for the powersuit. It could just be they were waiting for him to eliminate himself from the equation.

The thought makes him tense to the point where he really needs the backrub.

He slips off the shirt, unwilling at this point to share any of these concerns with Pepper. She's barely startling to relax and feel secure in their new life as it is.

"Better not tell them about your plan to have eight children then," she teases as she shifts behind him to get a better angle on the knots.

"As I said, it's a pipe dream...which a man is allowed. For now I'll settle for the right to take the child I've got and his mother home so I can stop eating hospital food and hold them both whenever I want." Tony groans and his head drops forward as she digs her thumbs into the back of his neck.

He wants the above. So very, very much.

Pepper lets the subject drop for now, even though she knows that a realistic discussion needs to be had eventually. And she'll need to talk to Dr. Whitman and find out if her problems with this pregnancy had anything to do with the circumstances surrounding it or if she's just going to always have a hard time being pregnant. Instead she focuses on the knots in his neck and shoulders, taking her time to examine the warm, tan skin. Though not as tan as it'd used to be.

"Thank you for everything you've done for us," she eventually says, almost in his ear. She runs her hands over his neck one last time before she lets them drift lower on his back.

He turns his head and smiles, before brushing her lips with his softly. "Thank you...for both you and our son." He pulls back from the kiss after a moment with an expression that is definitely bittersweet.

Her fingers tremble a little as she reaches out and just barely brushes his lips. "Your beard is scratchy," she whispers to him.

He smiles. "I suppose I better start shaving it regularly again then. Unless that was meant as a compliment?"

"Shave and no one will recognize you anymore." Her thumb runs over his lips again, and this time he follows, turning his head and pressing a kiss into her palm. He holds her there for a few seconds as his eyes drift shut and he breathes in deeply.

"Do I need to stop?" she asks, afraid that maybe she's pushing him too far. It's just... well...safe like this. She knows nothing will happen so it's alright to relax her guard.

"God no," he murmurs almost religiously.

"Okay..." She makes hand he's cupping to his cheek do the job on its own. Carefully she searches out the line of his jaw with her fingertips, following it down to the point of his chin. She can hear, see, and feel the effect her small actions are having on him, from the way he's breathing faster to the pulse beating just a little harder in his throat.

"It's going to be a long six weeks," he admits a little shakily. "Though to be honest, it's probably recoup time that's necessary for both of us." He grimaces a little, obviously slightly embarrassed. "I still get winded _walking_ sometimes. Here's hoping I don't embarrass us both trying something considerably more...athletic."

"I'm not exactly ready to compete myself," she confesses. Though her handicap is more of a mental thing than a true physical problem.

She reluctantly lowers her hand, only to be caught by surprise as Tony reaches out to cradle her face in his palms. His eyes are darker than usual, but they're also rock steady. So even though she breathes out raggedly, she nods her head and lets her eyes drift shut.

His thumbs stroke the line of her jawbone, before slipping down to cradle the base of her skull. "Practice makes perfect?" he says a little whimsically…then he leans forward again and he's kissing her again.

This meeting of lips holds both affection and a very carefully metered amount of actual passion. He's still not sure, given her shyness, that his hands are welcome wandering freely. He figures they can handle this like typical teenagers. First base. Second base. Third base. Home.

Pepper doesn't respond...though maybe that's not accurate. She's certainly receptive, and he can feel the way she starts breathing a little faster. And at the very end she leans into him the tiniest bit.

He has to wonder about those times she came into the mansion the morning after an apparent night of good sex and wonder if that's really what'd happened or if Delaney just traumatized her so badly that she doesn't trust her instincts anymore. He hasn't forgotten the thing she said earlier today about being terrified of having things done to her when she is not in control of her body.

It leaves him with questions he's a little terrified to consider.

For now though, he just focuses on the woman whose eyes are slowly opening. Her gaze is hazy for about five seconds, and then she seems to remember herself. She blushes - though not as dramatically as she had earlier - and while she shifts her weight away from him, she doesn't actually move.

"Hey - cover up there, Stark. Or you're going to end up flashing the nurse that comes for Aaron in a way I _know_ she's never seen before." Her hand drifts over the reactor. "Though after that, I can finish your massage if you want."

Tony debates. "That is definitely best avoided. Especially since I'm technically still a patient myself and they might try and start poking at me." He shrugs on the t-shirt and then pats the space on the bed in front of him. "Hey - how about instead of more backrub for me, you let me return the favor for a little bit – you're currently holding your neck kind of funny."

Her mouth opens with an automatic "I'm fine," but then hesitates. "I'm fine" is what secretaries say when they're trying to keep a professional distance from their bosses. And she is a little stiff from the hospital bed.

"That sounds nice," is what finally makes it out of her mouth as she shifts off the bed to move into the space in front of him. Of course, once on her feet she realizes what a shame it is that no one's holding Aaron because the nurse isn't here yet...

"Just a second." She scoops Aaron up carefully, not even disturbing his sleep, and then tucks him inside the soft warmth of the robe.

Tony snickers. "We're quite the mutual admiration society today aren't we?" His hands settle lightly on the top of her head, and when his fingers start massaging her scalp she nearly moans in simple pleasure.

"I'm a mother," she explains softly. "It's..."

It's not a dream come true, because it'd never been a dream she'd had. But there's still that sense of some kind of miracle occurring and changing everything forever.

"Weird," Tony finishes softly. "Like something is finishing and beginning all at once." He rests his head on her shoulder a moment peering down over it. "For the record kid, you're the only other male in the world who's allowed to appreciate that view without me clocking them."

"Tony!" The laughter bubbles up like a spring. Dear god... Even with all the things that had changed in her life in the last week, apparently some things never will.

It is oddly comforting.


	16. Epilogue

The breeze coming in off the water is cool, providing a nice contrast to the heat of the setting sun. The weather has been just beautiful enough to make Pepper almost regret leaving tomorrow. But L.A. is calling, in more ways than one. What was supposed to be weekly departmental conference calls have turned into two or three a week. It's taking a toll on her, but more so on Tony. When Aaron wakes up at night, Tony is almost always the one to get up and stay with him. He says he needs the time to think, and it just agitates him if she gets up to keep him company. He's taken the whole "husbandly duty" thing to heart, which would be cute if he ever made up for the missed sleep later.

Pepper sighs, and glances over at her brother. This is supposed to be their goodbye time, a couple of hours to just be brother and sister instead of caretaker and patient. Instead they're both so lost in their own thoughts, they've barely spoken for the last two hours.

She nudges Mick with her shoulder as they walk side by side. When he glances at her she says, "So I've been thinking about getting a dog."

Mick looks at her as if her words don't quite compute, then he starts laughing softly. "You really think you're ready to take on another responsibility?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.

Pepper snorts. "No. But it might distract Tony from buying more baby stuff for awhile."

Mick snorts and nods. No further explanation is needed. Until this morning when they'd finished packing, the house had nearly been overflowing with baby clothes, and toys, and books…

"So did you two finally decide to leave some of the department store here for next time, or did Tony give in and arrange for a second jet?"

Pepper groans at how on target Mick is. "I guess part of that depends on you. We do have the nursery set up, and I get the feeling that Tony's decided that summers in Savannah are a great idea."

The idea's growing on Pepper as well. Though she's curious what her brother will think of it.

Mick only shrugs. "It'd keep the house from being constantly empty. The way the housing market is these days Ginny, it's not like we'd be able to sell the house for awhile anyway, without me making some extensive renovations." His eyes shift to the rising tide-line, "In the meantime I think that I've got enough tucked away to cover the occasional yard service while we're away, and the property taxes."

Pepper nods - knowing her brother speaks the truth. They've never talked about his finances all that much, but she knows that the Agency pays it's field agents well, and it's doctorate professionals better. Still, she wonders... "You're not going to be stretched trying to pay that and two rents in L.A, are you? Because last I heard, opening up a restaurant is pretty expensive..."

Mick actually snorts. "I don't need a place in the Ritz district, sis. I figure I'll find something small on the outskirts of the city, and if necessary, do my own renovations."

"If you need any tools, just come over to the house. Tony has more than enough, and he'll be happy to share."

Hell, she has a feeling her husband might also appreciate the chance to leave the boardroom and help swing a hammer occasionally.

Mick nods again. "Just remember if you come back for a visit that I'm having the water and electricity disconnected the day after tomorrow, so you'll need to call and have them reconnected before you get here."

Pepper very much doubts that's going to be an issue... She and Tony have been away from L.A. too long as it is - they're going to spend the next few months playing catch up. Still...

"Do you plan to stop here again before heading to L.A once you get back from Chile?" It's not the subtlest of questions...but then she's tried subtle investigation repeatedly in the last couple of weeks, and she still has no clue what - if anything - has been resolved between her brother and Amelia.

If Mick plans to stop here before coming to L.A. to spend some more time with his ex-partner, Pepper may just drag Tony down for a long weekend visit.

Michael only shrugs. "I'm leaving everything here for the meantime. I'll have to come back for at least a day or so if I want any of it before the trip out to California. But it'll be a short stop."

There's something in his voice that makes her stop – a lack of any emotion. "Forgive me for prying Mick, but what's with you tonight? I'd think you'd be in a better mood for a man headed on his 'dream vacation' tomorrow."

Mick looks embarrassed, then shrugs and sort of waves her off. "Ah don't mind me today, Gin. I'm in a strange mood I guess. I'm glad to be leaving yes, but I'm also just really tired – I dropped by and spent the evening with Mom last night."

Pepper winces, face alight with understanding. "So that's where you were? Why didn't you say anything? I could have at least come along for backup. I'm much more scandalous than you right now. It might have taken some of the heat off you if Tony and I were along."

Mick shakes his head. "No. You've had enough to deal with the last few weeks. Besides, you know how insistent Mom is about us keeping up our 'special' Mother-Son time…though she did ask to see pictures of the Monkey…"

Yeah, Pepper does remember how her stepmother had insisted on time alone with her son. "You know, I always suspected that your 'special time' together was always her way to see how much I'd managed to corrupt you. Purposely or otherwise."

She grins as Mick sticks his tongue out at her. Then his face grows serious. "In the old days, yes. She also claims it helped prevent sibling rivalry. Though oddly enough, this time she didn't even grill me that much: she just wanted to talk about her new apartment, and about Dad..."

"Yeah?" Pepper slips her arm through his. "How'd that go?" Her stepmother tended to avoid the subject of her deceased husband. For her to bring it up was a little bit ominous…

Mick shrugs again. "Mom finally decided empty out the old family storage space. She's got a bunch of Dad's personal effects... She wanted to know if you or I wanted any of it or if she should just toss it all out."

"I assume you went ahead and declined on my behalf." Pepper's voice is dessert dry.

Mick shrugged. "I told her to just put everything in boxes and I'd come pick it up later tonight. I figured you wouldn't want much of it." Her brother pulls something out of his back pocket and hands it to her. "Before you reject everything wholesale though, I warn you that some of the pictures are a little… uncanny."

He's handed her two photographs, one recent and the other faded sepia with age. The first is her brother raspberrying Aaron as the little boy squeals in response. The other, Pepper realizes in shock, is an almost identical picture...except for the date on the back...

"I'd never realized how much you resembled Aaron as a baby," she murmurs in astonishment.

Mick snorts. "Actually sis, I'm older. So technically I think that it's the other way around. It's a heavy burden, but the munchkin will grow into it."

She laughs silently. "Fine. I hadn't realized how much Aaron looks like you used to." Her lips quirk wryly. "I guess that means he takes after Dad too, huh. Maybe I shouldn't be so fast to pass on that memorabilia. Aaron might want to look at it someday."

Mick shrugs. "He wasn't always... He didn't start out the man he turned into. It's good for us both to remember that." Her brother shrugs again and then he smiles a little. "Either way at least now you now know that Aaron'll grow up blessed with brains and good looks."

She laughs again. "All I had to do was look in the mirror to know that."

Mick chuckles. "This family certainly isn't hurting for egos, I'll tell you that much. So...to change the topic completely, do you have any suggestions on what kind of cheesy souvenirs I should ship home for you guys from Chile?"

"There's a loaded question. I like native sculpture - or replicas, rather. And Tony...god, just the cheesiest thing you can find, I suppose. The man's got unlimited money but is fascinated by anything with moving parts."

Mick nods. "I'll see what I can find then." Mick's smile turns softer, "Amelia is all excited to try a real empanada and milcaos, apparently. I'm going to have to scout around for a decent restaurant that sells them before she flies down in another couple of months."

"Mick..." Pepper glances at her brother, then back down at the sand under their bare feet. "I know you want me to butt out, but for the record, I really, really like Amelia."

He raises an eyebrow. "This is starting to sound frighteningly like the beginning of a 'you hurt her and I'll kill you' speech. I thought that kind of thing would be her brothers' prerogative...'"

Pepper shakes her head. "No. No threats. I just like her - I think she's good for you and I wanted you to know that. I don't know where you two stand at present but…"

Mick interrupts. "On opposite sides of a currently unsurpassable line."

Pepper opens her mouth to protest, but Mick only holds up a hand. "And yes, for the record, right now the main problem is me, I'll openly admit that." He shrugs a little. "We have a lot to talk through, and I've promised her the opportunity to do that after I've had a little time to sort through things in my head."

Her brother turns to look at the ocean before he continues. "Look, Mel's going to come down spend the last two weeks of my leave in Chile with me, Ginny. It's something at least."

"I know. And I'm not saying I expect you to come back engaged or anything. Just...don't act rashly, okay? Don't do something you'll eventually regret."

Mick reaches over to pat her arm soothingly. "Don't worry, that's why I'm taking this trip, remember? Sometimes you just need some time to think and regroup. In the meantime, how much trouble can I possibly get into trying local cuisine, laying around on the local beach and doing some surfing? At worst I risk sunburn or food poisoning..."

"Sounds like a pretty serious threat if you ask me." It's so annoying that he doesn't burn as easily as she does. "So, should I be getting a bed ready for you when you come to L.A., or are you just going to slum around until you find an apartment?"

Mick shrugs. "I wouldn't object to a couch to crash on for a few weeks. Though I've seen a quite few house foreclosures Southern L.A. that merit looking into..."

Pepper shudders – she knows the area. "Mick..." She shakes her head. "We've got plenty of room at the house while you look, so please take your time." Pepper doesn't tell Mick what she's really thinking...namely that she'd rather have Mick living in the house permanently than living in some sections of L.A.

Tony has been talking for the last week or so about an appropriate 'gift' for her brother's birthday coming up in June. Suddenly Tony's threats to go all out and buy a car or a house for Mick don't sound as over the top as they once did.

"Pepper, I know how to take care of myself." Her brother's voice is longsuffering. "It's not like I'm worried about handling my security."

"I don't want you living in a section of the city that requires you to have bars on your windows," she says flatly. "You can't live somewhere where I won't let Aaron visit."

That, Mick seems to understand. His nods even as he shrugs. "I'm not looking to move into the ghetto, but I'm going to have to make at least a few compromises. As you said yourself, I'll be paying two rents...and there's always start up costs. I'll just have to do the best that I can do..."

A thought dawns that Pepper hadn't considered. "Have you considered catering while you do renovations...? I've got some savings of my own, you know...I'd silent partner with you until you get on your feet and got a restaurant up and running. I guarantee you'd have no problem finding clients who need food for meetings or parties if your rates are reasonable. It'd be no issue to get the catering license..."

"I'm not bumming money off my little sister," Mick says flatly.

Pepper stops in her tracks. "Okay, first of all, I never said anything about giving you money. I said silent partner. I get some of your profits. Second, I'm a damn good business person. So don't get upset with me for pointing out a smart fiscal opportunity." She scowls at him until Mick makes a face, and then pokes him firmly in the chest. "Besides, last I checked we've been here almost nine months now...and I've never once _seen_ much less paid for as much as a single utility bill. It's my name on the lease too, or is it not?" Mick makes a face, but Pepper isn't backing down, though she does smile a little wryly, "As my therapist says, there's a difference between being a bum and practicing 'reasonable supportive reciprocation'..."

Mick groans at her terminology. "Oh no you don't, Ginny. I had to go to school for eleven a half years before I got to spout that kind of superfluous, bullshit."

She smiles tightly. "Then stop arguing with me or I'll throw more of it at you."

He mutters something under his breath that earns him a smack to the arm. "Ow! You're mean, Ginny! Has anyone ever told you that?"

"This from the man who said he can look after himself. Anyway," Pepper stresses, "we can work something out." She grins up at him reassuringly. "After you get back from you vacation, of course."

She tilts her head, "Now are you done over-guarding your threatened masculinity.... because I'm getting hungry. It's probably time to head back and fix dinner."

Mick shakes his head before turning and pointing to the parking lot and two familiar looking figures as they walk down over the boardwalk. "Nah. I figured I'd have Mel and Tony meet us here so I can treat us all to dinner. It'll spare the work of a last sink full of dishes ..."

"Does Tony know you've already claimed the check?" Pepper starts trotting towards the approaching group, dragging Mick along with her. "Because he's been grumbling about freeloading since you never let us help with the groceries."

Mick snorts. "Then he can pay for dinner tonight. We'll pick a restaurant that's outside my price range."

She smiles, then breaks away to run the last few yards to her baby. Aaron, who's resting in the carrier strapped to Tony's chest, lets out an excited sounding gurgle upon seeing his mother.

"How'd he do?" Pepper asks hr husband as she lifts him from the carrier.

"Good." Tony replies. "He was actually pretty quiet. Per our Father-Son agreement, he only spit up once. On Amelia."

Pepper starts to laugh, and then covers her mouth as she glances at Amelia. "Sorry," she murmurs ruefully as she cups the back of Aaron's head.

Amelia's expression is wry. "This was after Tony spent three minutes playing airplane with him. Don't worry about it though - I've dealt with worse from my nieces and nephews."

"Airplane" is not Pepper's favorite game, and she makes a half-hearted attempt to glare at Tony, but he just smiles serenely back. "I had my hands on him the entire time, Pepper. He's still too small to toss him around."

Mick finally speaks. "Besides, Gin...Amelia's had to deal with new Agency recruits the last six months. Compared to that kind of crap a little baby spit amounts to nada..." He looks at Tony and Amelia, "So are you two ready to go get food? 'Cause Ginny here says she's hungry."

"Starving," Pepper agrees. "I told Mick that we'd treat at a restaurant tonight."

Tony nods emphatically at that suggestion. "Fine by me. I'm in the mood for really good seafood and steak. Is there any place around here where the maitre'de won't scowl at my lack of a tie?"

For some reason Mick finds this hilarious. "Dude, you're 'Tony Fucking Stark.' Just buy the damn place if they start getting haughty."

"Don't tempt me," Tony mutters under his breath. Mick laughs even harder.

"There's a good restaurant about quarter mile down the beach..." Amelia supplies. "They have an unbelievable surf and turf buffet that's on every weekday until eleven... What?!" The brunette asks when Mick turns to regard her with a raised eyebrow, "You were busy last night. And I had a half priced coupon.".

"Sounds good to me. I could definitely go for crab." Pepper draws her attention away from Aaron long enough to give Tony a small kiss of greeting. Tony smiles then shifts so he can wrap a free arm around her waist and she, Aaron and him start down the beach in the direction Amelia's pointed.

"Have a good time?" he asks softly under his breath, enjoying the squish of the sand beneath his sandaled feet..

"Umm...I'm not sure that's the right word, but the sentiment is right," Pepper replies. "It was good to walk and think awhile. To just hang out."

Tony nods. "So are you feeling better about actually leaving tomorrow, or are you still having some doubts?"

She shakes her head, surprised to realize she means it. "You can't cling to the now forever. L.A's home. It's the right time to go back."

"You just want to be within ass-kicking range," Tony half teases. He's heard enough complaints about people at work who won't leave them alone in recent weeks that he's actually more than half convinced that she's going to be down at the office within a few days of their return to remind everyone who's boss.

Whether or not she's got Aaron balanced on her hip while she does it is something he hasn't really decided on yet. It's entirely possible though.

Pepper shoots him a scolding look. "Yes well, someone needs to set some rules about working and non working hours..." She doesn't say other things that she could...that she probably should. Like the fact that he's not losing weight, but he's not gaining it either the way that she hoped that he would. She's hoping if she can't terrify him into slowing down a little that will change once they get back to the mansion.

"If I agree to stay home and take lots of naps, will you join me?" He pulls her a little closer and smirks lightly.

Her lips quirk upwards... "We could probably come to...an arrangement."

"Really?" he blinks in surprise, which more or less ruins his attempts to be smooth.

She resists the urge to giggle at his slightly dazed expression. "I'm saying that I'm open to some friendly negotiation..."

"Really." He pauses and pulls her to a stop beside him. Then he kisses her again, a little bit more playfully. "Have I ever mentioned how much I love it when you talk business?"

He pulls back before things get out of hand, but Pepper isn't unaware of the underlying hunger. It's not as intimidating as it used to be...though it does leave butterflies in her stomach.

"So it's no longer geeky, hmm?" She smiles at him with less trepidation than has been apparent in her behavior before.

He leans forward to whisper in her ear. "Pepper, it was a lot of things, but it was never 'just geeky.'"

"Get a room!" Mick's holler comes from about thirty yards away. Pepper just rolls her eyes.

"Every time I think I'm going to miss him too much, he does that," she says with a sigh.

"He's just envious." Tony snickers back.

"Yeah, he's really jealous that you sleep in the same bed as his sister." Tony gives her a look as he steers her down the boardwalk in Mick and Amelia's wake. Pepper abandon's the thought in favor of a completely different matter. "Tony, can I ask you a question?"

His face grows serious - rather like her tone, and he nods his head slightly, gesturing for her to continue. "Go ahead."

Pepper's quiet for a few seconds as she tries to decide how to ask the question she's been avoiding for months. But with this as their last night in Savannah, it seems right to ask it now.

"Why come to Savannah all those months ago, Tony? If you didn't know I was here?"

The question definitely surprises him - he actually trips over his feet just a little, but then he seems to right himself, reestablishing both his physical and mental balance. He thinks for several long seconds then shrugs a little bit, "Because even though I didn't know you were in the city at the time, I knew with absolute certainty it was a place you had been before."

The answer obviously confuses her a little, but Tony just shrugs. "It's kind of hard to explain. It was a way to be…close to you, for lack of a better explanation."

"Maybe not as hard as you think," she murmurs. "I read every paper I could get my hands on, looking for any news of you."

He nods. "Whoever did your background cover did okay with it, but still I knew you'd spent at least some of your teenage years somewhere in this city. And compared to constantly bumping into shadows of you in LA -" He shrugs again, "It just felt less empty..." He turned his eyes to the ocean.

She nods, accepting this explanation. Tony glances at her, then asks his own question. "Why ask now?"

"Oh...I just..." Pepper sighs and steps a little closer, slipping an arm through his. "You were so desperate that day, Tony. I don't even know how to tell you how much it scared me."

"I was furious to see you Pepper. But also relieved. It was like I'd been drowning for months only to accidentally break free to the surface..."

He'd looked like it too. Pepper squeezes his arm and lets it go. She supposes that in the long run, it doesn't really matter. With any luck, she'll be able to keep him from ever being in that state again.

"Are you ready to go back to L.A?" She asks him softly, realizing with a start no one has asked him that even once during all the packing and planning of the past week.

Tony shrugs. "About the only difference it's going to make day to day is the fact that being back in LA will mean being within commuting range of the office."

She looks at him out of the corner of her eye. "And within walking distance of your garage...your hot rod...the outdoor hot tub...."

One corner of his mouth quirks up, "I suppose there will be a few additional...perks."

She smiles. "Not to mention better interfaces for Jarvis, a bigger nursery for you to fill up with ridiculously expensive baby paraphernalia, a considerably bigger bed..."

Tony nods. "And once we get back I can also start looking for the appropriate restoration project for Aaron and I once he gets old enough."

Pepper raises an eyebrow at that admission, but Tony only shrugs, "Hey, the right car can take years to find. I'm not saying he's going to be a tech-geek, but what little kid doesn't like to get covered in grease, and maybe hand Dad a wrench or two..."

Pepper can see the scene he's describing, except it's a young Tony Stark who's delighted to be spending time with his dad, working on an old car and getting covered in grease.

It's exactly those experiences that leave her confident that he's going to be a wonderful father.

"So we go back then." It's not a question. The tone is lighter though, as is the smile and nod Tony gives her in reply. He leans in to kiss her softly. "Yeah, though I prefer to think of it as 'we go forward' instead."

Pepper shifts Aaron in her arms, causing a flow of happy baby noises to spill out his mouth. She grins and bends her head to nuzzle him with the tip of her nose. "Who's a happy baby tonight?"

Tony laughs aloud. "For awhile at least. He's also probably getting hungry."

Pepper nods. "He's not the only one. And it's nearing the dinner hour. If we want there to be anything left on the buffet line, we better head in."

Tony ushers her ahead as he reaches back with one hand to rummage through the diaper bag hanging off his shoulder. He finds the bottle of breast milk he's looking for with a minimal amount of searching, but the way Pepper's eyes are lit up when he looks at her again makes him suspicious.

"What?" he asks as he hands Aaron's meal over.

"If someone had told me two years ago that I'd live to see Tony Stark become the model of male domesticity..."

He snorts. "Don't make it sound like a disease, Pep. There's nothing wrong with me that a few hours in the shop with my blowtorch won't fix."

"Doing what? Making a mobile for Aaron's crib?" The corner of her eyes crinkle with laughter.

Tony snorts, "It'd be a very manly mobile, Pepper."

The look she shoots him back is commingled skepticism and amusement.

"All right, Potts, enough denigrating Ironman in public." The words are stern, but defused to the playful tap he delivers to the tip of her nose.

"I need a burp rag," is Pepper's reply, her eyes still sparkling with mirth as an enthusiastic Aaron starts squirming in her arms.

"Stark! Ginny! Today would be good! Amelia's already taken more than half of the snow crab! I need reinforcements!"

Tony Stark laughs, hands Pepper a clean folded cloth diaper and pushes her gently toward the restaurant.

"Come on it's getting cold out. The sun's going down."


End file.
